A picture says a thousand words, right? It can also tell a thousand lies. Or manipulate a hundred faces. It can betray you, corner you, but potentially free you.

That picture was the first of many. It was the only true picture. After came the distortions- the edits. My face slapped onto girl on girl porn. My name etched across Orange is the New Black posters. It wasn't just in print. In fact, the majority wasn't in print. Every lesbian meme began to feature me, cryptic messages in snapchat stories began to occur. I was the new hot topic. Had never been more talked about. More popular. And yet I was also the biggest social reject going. And it came from a picture.

That first picture was a snapshot of pure heaven.

Someone had captured that first kiss, the truth or dare kiss, in perfect HD quality. Luckily for George the focus was on me. They noticed it. The glistening happiness shining from my eyes, the small smile across my lips as our lips touched, the glow from my skin as I was finally happy in the moment. The shot got it all. It also got the side of George's face shrouded in hair. There's no expression. She was hidden, she could hide behind her lies. I know it's lies. I refuse to believe even now, that the moment was fabricated.

Regardless of what they tell me. Regardless of what they say. I know it was real.

It can't all be fake.

**

I take a pen and scrape out the words on my notebook. I trace over each and every one again and again until the paper starts to rip as the ink fades through. It meant nothing. I tell myself that line again. It meant nothing. My hand shakes and I'm still holding the pen.

I press the pen against my skin and drag it down my arm. It leaves a faint black line. A press it a little harder and dragged it down my skin. The skin indents. One more time I drag the pen down my arm, slower, increasing the pressure, until my skin pops and cracks and there's droplets of blood covering my arm.

"Liss," Mum calls up the stairs.

I rub my arm clean and fake a smile.

"Yes," I call back, the smile hurting my face already.

It can't all be fake. Can it?