The Schoolgirl: Behind the Mask"

.Chapter One: A Plastic Smile

At exactly seven o'clock in the morning, silence enveloped Alasia's room, save for the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock, which mirrored the anxious beating of her heart. She stood before the large mirror, staring at the face she knew so well—and knew, just as well, was not her true face.

She grasped the collar of her pristine white school shirt, adjusting her tie with meticulous care. She brushed her long brown hair until it flowed like silk, then performed her most important daily ritual: "The Smile." She pulled her facial muscles upward until her two small dimples appeared. Looking at her reflection, she whispered softly, "You are fine. You are the silent angel. You are perfection."

Alasia left her room, and in the kitchen, her mother greeted her with the usual look of pride: "Alasia, darling, don't forget your student council meeting today. Your father is counting on you to be the family's pride, as you always are." Alasia simply nodded without uttering a single word; the letters felt as though they were choking in her throat.

Upon arriving at "The Blue Dome" school, the atmosphere was charged with the usual student clamor. In the main hallway, her path was crossed by Suzy, the girl who loved to be the center of the universe. Suzy wore her school uniform in a rebellious fashion, sporting bold lipstick that defied school regulations, and clutching her phone with an air of arrogance.

"Alasia! My savior!" Suzy cried out as she rushed toward her, the strong scent of her perfume preceding her. "I know you're the angel who would never refuse a request... Have you finished that complex physics' problem? Mr. Assem is starting class soon, and I haven't even opened the book!"

Alasia offered her habitual smile—the one she practiced daily—and said in a calm voice, "Of course, Suzy. The book is in my bag; you can take it."

"You really are wonderful!" Suzy said, snatching the book from her hand without permission, then turning to her friends and laughing with a hint of mockery that Alasia either missed or pretended not to notice.

As Alasia walked toward her classroom, she felt the walls closing in on her. Every "thank you" she received felt like it was adding another layer of thickness to the mask she wore. She could hear the students' whispers around her: "Look, it's Alasia; I can't imagine her ever getting angry," "I wish I had her composure."

She entered the classroom and sat in her usual seat in the front row. She opened her notebook, but her eyes wandered toward the window, watching a solitary cloud in the clear sky. At that moment, a cold shiver ran through her body. The chill didn't come from the air conditioner, but from the gaze piercing through her back from the very last row.

She turned slowly to find Alas staring at her. He wasn't staring with admiration like the others; instead, his gaze was filled with inquiry, as if he saw something no one else could. Alas,—the boy who mingled with no one, surrounded by an aura of dark mystery. Alasia grew flustered and tried to offer him her usual smile, but this time, she failed. Her facial muscles stiffened, and for the first time, she felt her plastic mask beginning to c***k under the weight of his stare.