A Step Out
215 Words
Saturday came with clear skies, the kind that made the city glow. Lara stood in front of her closet, fingers brushing over the dresses she usually wore for brunch photos. Sequins, silks, pastel coats — all of them part of the persona.
She reached past them and pulled out a simple white T-shirt and jeans. The choice felt almost rebellious.
On the street, she blended into the crowd. No one turned their head. No one whispered. For the first time, she wasn’t performing.
She stopped by a bookstore before heading home. Inside, the air smelled of paper and quiet. She wandered between the aisles until her fingers landed on a book about self-portraits. Not the kind with ring lights — the kind with charcoal and canvas.
She bought it without overthinking.
Walking back, she noticed things she’d usually scroll past: a child chasing a soap bubble, sunlight glinting off a bicycle wheel, the sound of a busker playing soft guitar.
At home, she placed the book on her coffee table. Tomorrow, she would try one of the sketches.
It wasn’t a grand transformation, but it was something — a step out of the image she had lived in for too long.
And though no one else would notice, Lara felt the smallest flicker of pride.
- Writer
