Sarah hadn't smiled this much in months.
Ever since Ella and Rose had invited her to the Valentine's Ball, a small, trembling light had been glowing in her chest. It felt… warm. Dangerous. Hopeful.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she had something to look forward to—something that wasn't just about surviving school, or avoiding cruel whispers in the hallway. This was something more.
This was her chance.
Every day that week, she stood in front of her mirror with different dresses, holding her breath. She mixed and matched shades of lip gloss, eyeshadow, and mascara. She watched YouTube tutorials at night, trying to learn the perfect Valentine's glam. She giggled softly when a look actually worked. She even took mirror selfies, pretending not to care, but then stared at them for hours, dreaming.
"Kim will be there," she whispered into her pillow.
Maybe he'd notice her. Maybe—just maybe—this was fate finally being kind.
By Friday evening, Sarah had settled on a flowy crimson dress that made her skin glow and her eyes seem deeper than ever. Her hair was softly curled, framing her face like she was a dream from another world.
She looked in the mirror, stunned.
For once, she felt… beautiful.
---
The school gym had been transformed with dangling fairy lights and red velvet ribbons. Music played softly. Laughter echoed. People twirled in soft dresses, tailored suits, perfume, and sparkle.
Sarah stepped inside, heart racing—and saw him.
Kim.
Her crush. Her sketchbook prince. The boy who'd once helped her pick up her books in the hallway.
But he wasn't alone.
Rose was beside him, laughing like a goddess in red, her hand locked into his.
Sarah froze. An ache bloomed in her chest like a thorned rose growing fast. But she swallowed it.
She smiled—small, fake, and trembling—and kept walking. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe they were just… being friendly.
They all sat together: Ella, Rose, Kim, and some guy Sarah didn't know.
And then there was her.
The extra. The outsider. The one that didn't fit.
---
When the announcement came for the King and Queen voting, people cheered. Ballots flew around like confetti. Everyone voted, even Sarah, though her hands shook.
Then the music slowed, and couples began to stand.
Kim stood too.
He turned to Rose, bowed slightly, and extended his hand.
"May I?"
Sarah watched in silence, her breath catching as Rose giggled and slipped her hand into his.
They walked to the dance floor—twirling, laughing—while Sarah stood in a dim corner, holding her own hands tightly. Her dress suddenly felt wrong. Her makeup too much. Her skin too visible. Her heart too loud.
She stared, unblinking, trying to memorize the fantasy she would never have.
---
The mic crackled.
"And now... the moment we've all been waiting for. The Valentine's King and Queen are…"
A dramatic pause.
"Kim Williams and Rose Carter!"
Applause erupted. Whistles. Screams. People chanted their names.
Kim and Rose walked to the front like royalty, taking the stage, hands still entwined. The spotlight made Rose's eyes glitter like a villain in a fairytale.
She reached for the mic.
"Before we crown ourselves," she said sweetly,
"I have my own little announcement to make. For someone special."
The crowd quieted.
Eyes turned.
So did Sarah's.
Rose smiled like the devil in lipstick.
She pulled out a stack of drawings. Familiar ones.
Sarah blinked.
Her drawings.
Her sketchbook pages.
Drawings of Kim.
Rose held one up—Sarah had spent three hours on it, capturing Kim's soft smile from memory. The crowd squinted, then gasped.
Whispers filled the room.
Rose read aloud:
"Page 14: 'If only he knew how I feel. Maybe one day, he'll see me.'"
The crowd laughed.
Sarah's chest tightened.
Her knees buckled.
"Page 19: 'His hands look soft. I wish I could hold them just once.'"
Another wave of laughter. Some pitied her. Most didn't.
Rose smiled wider.
She turned to Kim.
"She's obsessed with you," she said playfully, and the audience howled.
Then, as if the scene couldn't get worse—a bucket of cold water was tipped above her head.
Soaking.
Freezing.
Her hair fell limp. Mascara ran down her cheeks like black tears.
Silence.
Then—
Laughter. Deafening. Ugly. Cruel.
"Big dreamer!" someone shouted.
"She thought she was Cinderella!"
"Look at her! She's insane!"
Sarah couldn't breathe. Her heartbeat drowned out everything. She turned slowly toward Kim—
And he looked back.
His face was unreadable.
But there was no kindness.
Only… disgust.
Something cracked in her.
She turned and ran. Dress dripping. Eyes blind. Laughter echoing behind her like a curse.