ARIA
I stayed on the floor longer than I meant to. My back hurt from leaning against the door, and my eyes burned from crying. The house was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator downstairs and the occasional drip of water from the leaking pipe outside my window.
When I finally pushed myself up, my legs felt numb. My body was cold from the rain that had soaked through my clothes hours ago. Everything felt heavy — my limbs, my head, even the air.
I switched on my lamp. The soft yellow glow made my room feel smaller. My wet uniform clung to my skin, sticky and uncomfortable. I stripped it off quickly, shivering as the fabric peeled away, and grabbed my towel.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror on my wardrobe door.
For a second, I almost didn’t recognize the girl sta
