I stared at my shoes, the tips of my teal hair framing my vision as I stumbled through the hallway. My nerves tingled, fearing that anyone would lash out at me, call me a freak, point, and laugh, and stare at me for attempting suicide.

   And failing.

   I was on my own that day. Luka was a valued member of the student council, so she had to attend a meeting that morning. Rin still never called back.

   Everywhere I glanced, giggles and chuckles seemed to rise from the scattered clusters of people, twisting into nightmares in my head.

   Then, like lighting in the night, Rin's bow popped out of the crowd. She too was having a staring contest with the floor. Much too unlike Rin. I made my way to the blonde and choked out a nervous, "Hi!"

   To my surprise, Rin slowly lifted her head and stared. Her happy aqua eyes now looked as if the life had been sucked out. Her hair, usually pinned back by a few hair clips, now hung in her face. I eyed the girl in horror as the bell rang, the crowd of students sweeping the two of us away from each other.

***

   "I don't know, she just- seems, like... different," I wondered aloud.
  
   "I'm sure she's just a bit shaken up that you... um, I'm sure she'll feel much better when she sees that you're okay," Luka quickly corrected herself. I squeezed both hands into fists and covered my eyes with them, then let my head fall onto the table with a thud.

   I groaned and Luka giggled before taking a bite of her tuna sandwich, then nudged my bowl of salad towards me. "Since when do you bring salad in your lunches anyways? You used to always bring fruits and cakes," Luka questioned.

   Keeping my head on the table, I muttered, "I'll get fat if I keep eating cake every day. I want to be skinnier."
Luka sighed and replied, "Cows eat nothing but grass and look at them." I immediately raised my head and sat straight up, giving my bowl of salad and evil look. Luka smiled and shook her head. She took a cookie out of her lunchbox and handed it to me as she added, "You're a twig. You'd be screwed if anyone decided to pick a fight with you."

***

   Once I reached the top of the stairs in my apartment building, I swung my backpack around my shoulder and unclipped the keychain off the back of my backpack. I stepped into the apartment and a glint of hope sparked in me when I saw a light on.
  
   That hope immediately died when I saw it was just the lamp on the desk, accompanied by a note.

I'm  sorry,  sweetheart.
Your  father  and  I  will  have  to  stay  late  in  the  office  today.  There's  some  leftover  spaghetti  in  the  fridge  that  you  can  eat  if  you  get  hungry.  The  painkillers  are  on  the  top  shelf  in  the  medicine  cabinet.
I  love  you,  goodnight.

   I sighed.

   Alone as always.

   Scanning the kitchen, I reached out to the fridge, then hesitated. Instead, I opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the painkillers.

   Twisting open the bottle, I poured a handful of pills onto my palm. I then heard a phone buzz.

   It was a text from Luka.

   Wanna come bake with me this weekend? I could invite Rin over, just like we used to. Meiko might come as well 😋. I'm thinking... a chocolate devil's food cake. With vanilla icing and strawberries on top? Idk haha tell me what you think

   I placed all but one pill back into the bottle with shaking hands. As tears dripped down my face, I replied:

   Sounds perfect!