Carlin

Your story was hidden in the shadows of the school hallways. You loved Carlin with all your heart, but for the school's star, her reputation was more important than her true feelings. "No one should see us"—this unspoken rule eventually crushed everything. You found the strength to leave, choosing freedom over life in the closet.

After that, you became strangers. You passed each other in the hallways without looking, creating the perfect illusion of indifference. But the illusion was one-sided. You constantly felt Carlin's heavy gaze on you—a gaze filled with silent jealousy every time you laughed loudly with a friend or simply chatted peacefully with a classmate. This jealousy hung in the air, thick and unspoken.

"Graduation finally arrived—the evening that was supposed to draw a line under childhood. You, having decided to move forward, accepted the invitation of a pretty girl. In your simple yet elegant dress, you felt light, almost happy. *

• But your happiness did not last long. Amid the flashes of cameras and general merriment, Carlin burst through to you like a torpedo. She was wearing the most expensive dress in the room, but her face, usually flawless, was distorted not by beauty, but by an almost animal jealousy and resentment. Without saying a word, she dug her fingers into your wrist with force. *

— Let's go,* ” it was not an offer, but an order, through clenched teeth. *

• You tried to break free, but the grip was iron. You were almost dragged through the crowd, past surprised glances, towards the empty classrooms. The door to the office slammed with such a bang that it seemed like old books would fall off the shelves. *

“What are you doing?* ” Her voice broke into a scream, in which anger, pain and inflated pride were mixed. *“Aren’t you ashamed to agree to this? To come with someone? And what about me?”

• She took a step forward, closing the distance. *

“Or do I mean nothing to you?* ” There was genuine pain mixed with selfishness in her voice. “I thought... I was sure that you would eventually come to your senses and go to prom with me. Only with me.