People always say that there is no such thing as losing your spark. Elsa, on the other hand, strongly believed that nothing in this world could ever make her lose hers. At least, that's what she thought. She never imagined her spark would someday dim, slipping silently out of her life.
The 18-year-old Elsa everyone knew was cheerful, outspoken, and bold. She was everywhere, the kind of girl whose energy could light up an entire room. Her laugh was infectious, her confidence magnetic, and she always seemed to have something witty to say. Elsa thrived on attention but not in a shallow way, people gravitated to her because she had a knack for making even the shyest student feel noticed. At school, she was nicknamed "The Show Queen," a title she earned after a particular incident during her senior year.
Her best friend, Mirabel Ray, knew better than anyone that behind Elsa's fearless exterior was a heart that burned fiercely for the people she loved. If you messed with someone Elsa cared about, you didn't just get her anger, you got her wrath. And Mira almost found herself at the center of that wrath one day, when one of their classmates tried to sexually harass her. Mira never planned to tell Elsa, knowing exactly how she would react. But Elsa always had a way of finding out.
It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Mira hadn't come to school. Elsa tried calling her countless times, sending a stream of texts, but there was no reply. Panic bubbled inside her chest. She decided to check Mira's house. When she arrived, Mira's mom told her that Mira had already left for school that morning.
Elsa forced a smile, not wanting to worry her. "She's probably still at school handling some things. Don't worry, ma'am."
But inside, Elsa was terrified. She searched all their usual hangout spots, but Mira was nowhere to be found. Elsa didn't return to school that day; her only priority was finding her best friend.
The last place she could think of was the secluded playground they often used whenever they wanted to ditch classes. Exhausted, Elsa sighed heavily as she sat on a bench. "Girl, where the hell are you?" she muttered under her breath.
After a moment of silence, faint sobs floated through the air. Elsa froze. She was the only one there, or so she thought. Rising slowly, she followed the sound. Finally, she saw Mira curled up beside a slide, her head buried in her lap, her body shaking with quiet sobs.
"Mira?" Elsa's eyes widened. Her voice came out soft, almost pleading.
Mira lifted her head slowly. Her face was red and swollen, eyes glistening with fresh tears. "Elsa…" she whimpered before breaking down completely, her sobs echoing louder.
Elsa rushed to her and wrapped her arms tightly around her. "Shhh… I'm here, okay? I'm here. It's okay," she whispered, stroking her back with trembling hands.
Elsa didn't know what was going on, but she knew something was terribly wrong. Mira had hidden her tears before, but this time was different. This time, Elsa could feel the weight of her pain. Tears welled up in Elsa's own eyes, spilling as she held Mira close and cried with her.
After a while, they sat together on a bench, silently recovering. Elsa reached for Mira's hand and squeezed it. "Girl, what's going on? You scared me half to death. Your mom's probably worried by now."
Mira looked away and sighed shakily.
"Look at me." Elsa gently turned her friend's face toward hers. "You know you can always talk to me. I'm always here for you. But lately, you've been distant. You don't sleep over at my place anymore. Today you skipped class. And now I find you here, crying like your whole world is breaking apart. I'm losing my mind, Mira. Please… just tell me what's wrong."
Mira sniffled, wiped her face, and forced a shaky smile. "Chill, girl. It's not that bad. I'm fine, okay? It's just my period messing with my mood. I didn't feel like going to class today."
Mira had always hated burdening others, especially Elsa, with her problems. She had no intention of revealing the real reason.
"Mira!" Elsa snapped, her patience cracking. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you? Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I can't tell something's wrong? Do you know how it feels to watch the person you love most in this world suffer silently?"
Mira sighed and met her eyes. "I'm really fine. Believe me. I'm not hiding anything. I promise."
Elsa wasn't convinced. Her gut screamed otherwise. But she also knew Mira wasn't going to open up, at least not now. So, she nodded slowly. "Okay. If you say so."
But deep inside, Elsa's decision was already made: she was going to find out the truth one way or another.
Later that weekend, Elsa went to Mira's house for a sleepover, as usual. Though she hadn't forgotten the incident, she played along, pretending everything was fine. They baked cookies, gossiped about classmates, sang songs, and laughed as if nothing was wrong. But in Elsa's mind, determination burned. She was going to uncover whatever Mira was hiding.
That night, while Mira was showering, Elsa sat on the bed trying to draft a new reading timetable for both of them. Her pen suddenly ran out of ink. Frustrated, she searched the table and spotted another pen sitting on top of a red book.
It was Mira's diary.
Elsa froze. She knew it was wrong. Her heart pounded in her chest. But her hand reached for it anyway, trembling. She promised herself she would read only the last entry. Just one.
The moment her eyes scanned the words, her body went numb. Her stomach twisted.
Mathew.
He had been harassing Mira.
Elsa gasped, her hands shaking violently. She slammed the diary shut and placed it back exactly where it had been. Then she crawled under the blanket, curling up in a ball, her mind spinning. She couldn't believe what she had just read.
Mira had been assigned to work closely with Mathew because of her duties as class president. And he had used that chance to torment her.
As Elsa lay there in the dark, her body trembled with fury. The thought of someone hurting Mira made her want to scream, to break something, to claw at the air. But alongside the anger was something deeper, a crushing sadness. Her chest felt heavy with guilt and helplessness. How could Mira have been going through this without her noticing? How could Elsa have been so blind?
As Mira stepped back into the room, toweling her hair, she glanced at Elsa, surprised to see her already lying down. Shrugging, she switched off the light and climbed into bed.
But Elsa couldn't sleep. She lay there with tears slipping silently down her cheeks, staring at her best friend. Mira slept soundly beside her, unaware of the storm brewing inside Elsa's heart. Elsa fell asleep that night with one single goal: to expose and humiliate Mathew.
The next day, she didn't mention anything to Mira. She waited.
When classes resumed, students were required to submit their phones to the class president. Elsa saw her chance. As Mira collected the phones, Elsa secretly took Mathew's.
In a secluded corner, she unlocked it and froze.
Dozens of nude photos. Girls from their school. Her stomach turned.
Without wasting time, she rushed to their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Tara Dean, and reported the phone. But that wasn't enough. She needed the world to know what Mathew had done.
Storming into the classroom, Elsa's rage erupted. She slapped Mathew across the face, the sharp sound echoing through the room.
Gasps filled the air. Mira, already in class, rushed to her. "Hey… what's going on?" she asked, grabbing Elsa's arm.
Elsa yanked her arm away, her chest heaving.
Mathew staggered back, clutching his cheek, his eyes wide. "Have you gone nuts?! What the hell was that for?" he shouted, furious.
Elsa scoffed, her voice cold. "Nuts? No—you're the crazy one. How could you record us while being intimate, you pervert?!"
The classroom exploded with shocked whispers.
Mathew's face twisted. "What are you talking about?! I've never even had a conversation with you, let alone slept with you! Bitch!"
Elsa's glare burned into him. She was pretending to be the victim to protect Mira. No one else needed to know Mira was one of his targets.
"Don't play dumb, Mathew," Elsa shot back, folding her arms. "I went through your gallery. How do you explain the nudes of all those girls, huh? You disgusting creep!"
The class erupted again, phones discreetly raised, recording. Mira's heart pounded as she realized Elsa had found out everything. But she stayed silent. She knew trying to stop her would only make things worse.
Mathew's face flushed red with anger. "What's this bitch talking about?!" he yelled, raising his hand to slap Elsa.
But the death glare she gave him made him freeze, his hand halting midair.
Elsa leaned in, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Look around you. Phones are recording. Eyes are watching. What do you think will happen if this goes online? What do you think will happen to your father's reputation?"
Mathew's father was a wealthy mogul—owner of one of the largest real estate companies in the state. His face was always in newspapers, shaking hands with governors and ministers. His name was power. His reputation was everything.
Mathew's jaw clenched. His hand dropped slowly.
Before he could respond, Mrs. Tara Dean stormed into the classroom, her face flushed with fury. "Mathew! Principal's office. Now!" she barked.
Mathew scoffed, shooting Elsa a death glare. "Ratted me out already, huh? Watch your back, Elsa. You won't go free after this." He shoved past her, deliberately hitting her shoulder, then smirked at Mira before leaving.
The class buzzed with shocked whispers.
Elsa exhaled sharply, her hands trembling as she tried to compose herself.
Behind her, Mira hesitated before gently tapping her shoulder. "I… I swear I was going to tell you, but—"
Elsa spun, her face hard, and walked away without a word, her fists clenched. The sting of betrayal weighed heavily.
Mira groaned, running a frustrated hand through her hair.
Later that day, Mira was called to the principal's office, along with other girls involved. The school issued heartfelt apologies. Mathew's parents were contacted, but they didn't show up. Clearly, they weren't about to sit in a room and admit their son was a predator.
Mathew was expelled on the spot and permanently removed from the school. Mira's parents, enraged, pressed charges and demanded he be sent to juvenile detention. Mira herself just wanted to let it go, but her parents were determined to protect their daughter's dignity.
After the meeting, Mira walked back to her class. Elsa was nowhere to be found. Her chest tightened. She knew Elsa was furious.
Gathering their bags, Mira sighed shakily. Just as she was stepping out, she bumped into Elsa. Their eyes met, Elsa's expression was annoyed, but not as fierce as before.
Mira forced a smile and held out Elsa's bag. "Susan didn't come today. Let's go home together."
Elsa hesitated before taking it. "Let's go," she muttered.
Mira nodded quickly and followed. From school to the bus, the air between them was heavy. Elsa said nothing, her silence louder than words. Mira walked tensely, knowing she was at fault for hiding the truth.
When they finally got off the bus, heading toward home, Elsa suddenly stopped. Mira froze too.
Elsa turned slowly, her eyes glistening. "How far did he go?" she asked quietly.
Mira's brows furrowed. "What… what do you mean?" she stuttered.
Elsa shut her eyes, breathing deeply, fighting to stay calm. "How far did Mathew go? Tell me everything. How it started. What he did. Everything." Her voice shook, heavy with worry, anger, and a kind of anxious fear.....fear of what she was about to hear.
Mira looked down, trembling. After a long hesitation, she whispered, "He only made me strip… and he took pictures. And sometimes… he touched…"
Elsa gasped softly, covering her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. Her body trembled as she tried to steady her breathing.
"Why… why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Mira's tears spilled instantly. "What was I supposed to do? I was scared, Els. I was… terrified. I couldn't even bring myself to tell you."
Elsa stepped closer, her voice cracking. "Scared of what exactly, Mimi?" She bit her lip, guilt tearing at her. "God, I'm such a fool," she muttered. "I didn't even notice you were struggling. And I was busy being angry at you for acting different. I… I didn't know."
Her sobs slipped through her words.
Mira quickly grabbed her hand. "No, no. It's not your fault. It's mine. I didn't tell you. I hid it so well. I'm sorry, Els."
Elsa clutched her hand tighter. "No, I'm sorry. I should've been there for you. I should've known. I'm so sorry."
Mira shook her head through her tears, trying to smile. "I'm okay, really. This too will pass. It hurts, but I'll be fine."
Elsa pulled her into a hug, burying her face in Mira's shoulder. "From now on, don't ever keep anything from me, okay? Your pain is my pain. You don't have to suffer alone. Not ever again."
Mira hugged her tighter, nodding. "Sure. I won't. I'm sorry for not telling you."
They stood there, both crying softly into each other's arms.
Back then, Elsa found the whole thing strange. Mira wasn't the type to let Mathew do something like that unless he had threatened her with something even worse. Elsa wanted to ask, but she didn't ask after that time. She was afraid it would reopen wounds and stir up unbearable memories.
Mira's parents were no joke either. Though not as publicly flamboyant as Mathew's family, they carried a quiet kind of power. Her father was a senior government consultant who worked closely with state officials, the kind of man whose phone calls got answered immediately no matter the hour. Her mother came from an old, respected family and managed several thriving businesses in the city, restaurants, rental properties, and even a boutique that catered to wealthy clients. They weren't the loud type of rich, but everyone knew the Rays had influence, money, and connections that could not be ignored.
So, no matter how desperately Mathew's family tried to stop his expulsion and prevent him from being sent to juvenile detention, Mira's parents remained adamant. They refused to bend. To them, it wasn't just about their daughter, it was about making sure he couldn't harm any other girl again.
Mathew's parents fought back at first, making phone calls, pulling strings, even trying to lean on their wealth to make the issue disappear. But Mira's parents stood firm, pushing just as hard, their voices echoing through every meeting. In the end, the pressure was too much.
Finally, Mathew's parents decided to silently let him go to juvie, hoping to keep the scandal contained. It was a sacrifice they made reluctantly, but they knew dragging things further would only create a bigger stir. If the public ever caught wind of what he had done, their family name would be ruined.