By Monday morning, something in the air had shifted.
Aisha could feel it.
She walked into the classroom like she always did — head high, hair perfect, smile sharp as glass.
But nobody looked up.
Jackie was chatting with Emily by the window. Ashlin was laughing softly with Sara. Even Jessi was sitting closer to Lilly now, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.
Aisha stopped in the middle of the room.
She was still smiling, of course.
She always smiled.
But inside?
Inside, she was seething.
---
At break, she tried.
"Oh, hey, Jessi," she said, her tone just a little too sweet. "I was thinking maybe we could hang out later? Just like old times?"
Jessi glanced up, her expression neutral.
"Maybe," she said vaguely — but she didn't sound like she meant it.
And when she walked past Aisha to sit with Lilly, Aisha felt her nails dig into her own palm.
---
She tried again with Emily.
"You know I didn't mean to upset anyone," she cooed, leaning against her desk. "I just care too much. I'm always looking out for you guys, and sometimes I guess that comes off wrong."
Emily gave her a polite smile, but nothing more.
Even Jackie wouldn't meet her eyes.
And Sara?
Sara, the quiet one, just muttered under her breath as she passed by:
"Too late for that now."
---
By the end of the day, Aisha sat alone for the first time in… ever.
But she still smiled.
Oh, she smiled so brightly it hurt.
Because if she stopped smiling now, she was afraid everyone would see just how much it burned.
She caught Lilly's eye across the room — Jessi and the others gathered around her, their quiet laughter filling the space that used to belong to Aisha.
And in that moment, Aisha made a choice.
She stood up, smoothed her blazer, and walked out as though nothing had happened.
Fine.
If they wanted to side with her… let them.
She'd let Lilly have this little victory.
For now.
---
But even as she strutted down the hallway, she couldn't stop glancing back over her shoulder.
Because no matter how hard she smiled, the jealousy inside her still whispered:
That should've been me.
~The end~