Alethea was the human embodiment of fashionably late, except her fashion sense was questionable.
The day hadn't ended yet and neither had the bad luck that followed Alethea. there was no such thing as a small nap. Alethea slept past 7 p.m.
When she woke up, there was no time; the room was still a mess. as she had never cleaned it. Alethea wanted to fit in and make friends. So there was no way she would miss this party. It was her only chance.
There was no time for dressing up or make up. She wore a black lightweight, relaxed fit T-shirt with a V-neck and the same pants she had worn to college in the morning. Applying a little lipstick, she tied her hair into a loose ponytail. With her phone in hand, she left her apartment.
Somehow, Alethea made to the party by 8 pm. Her chest tightened, as she struggled to breathe. Her palms were sweating. 'I will greet them enthusiastically. Say hello and hi. Be friendly.' She repeated these words like chants in her mind and opened the door into the restaurant.
Alethea's eyes scanned the room, taking in the dimly lit atmosphere and pulsating music. The smell of good food wafted through the air, tempting her to try some, if only she could feel at ease. Alethea quickly noticed all the girls were wearing, skirts of all type, short skirts, mini skirts, long ones... Some more styles she had no idea about.
Only Alethea arrived wearing pants. Her breath caught in her throat as she scanned the crowd. She retracted her step almost to turn back and run. Sophia noticed her and her high-pitch voice attracted the attention of many, "Alethea! Come here." Sweat started to form on the back of her neck. While fidgeting her fingers, agressively scratching her nails together, she slowly made her way to Sophia.
As Alethea approached Sophia, the crowd's attention turned to her, and Alethea's skin prickled with heat as she felt the weight of the crowd's gaze. Sophia's lips curved upward, revealing a gleaming row of teeth and sparkling eyes, it did not put Alethea at ease, not even in the slightest. "Hi." Her voice trembled slightly, she tried her best to sound happy or at least casual. Yet it was a dry reply to Sophia's enthusiastic welcome. Alethea knew and regretted it but she forgot how to communicate normally like homo sapiens.
'Smooth move, Alethea. You're totally not freaking out right now.'
Despite that Sophia swirled around and put her hand on Alethea's shoulder. Her flowy, sparkling black dress, attracting the attention males and females equally. As if main character energy was flowing through her vein. Little make up with hair dancing to her moves.
"Everyone, say hello to our fashionably late friend, Alethea." Her words spilled out in a bubbly rush, her enthusiasm impossible to ignore. The crowd's cheers lasted for three seconds exactly and died down. She discreetly wiped her hands on her pants, trying to calm her racing heart.
Alethea's gaze lingered on Sophia, a mix of gratitude and self-consciousness swirling in her chest. She sank into a nearby seat, her eyes scanning the spread before her. The array of food seemed like a cruel joke— pizza, sandwiches, fruit skewers, chips and dips, and an assortment of drinks— when her stomach was knotted with anxiety.
Yet, she reached for a slice of pizza, the familiar comfort food, she found a small solace in an otherwise overwhelming situation. The pizza was unexpectedly tastier than it looked. Alethea made up her mind even if she can't make friends or have fun as she planned she would eat until she was stuffed.
Alethea's eyes flicked between the lavish food and glamorous crowd. The table they occupied seemed to radiate an air of sophistication, with sparkling glasses and elaborately folded napkins. The girls around her carried high confidence and high class energy, their designer dresses and poised laughter making Alethea feel like an outsider. As she caught herself fidgeting with her worn jeans, Alethea couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't belong here, doubts crept in: had she made a mistake coming here?
"Your T-shirt looks really good. Which brand is it?" A girl asked as the din lighting highlighted the sparkle on the girls' watch, and the scent of expensive perfume wafted through the air. She was overly dressed for a simple get together with long boots and brand accessories. Alethea's word was stuck in her throat, this was just a T-shirt brought from a street vender. She had no idea if this even has any brand.
Alethea's mouth hung open, her thoughts jumbled as she struggled to respond, another girl spoke out in a loud, truly enthusiastic voice, "Omg that wrist watch is so freaking cute and that's so expensive. Damn."
The girl raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with disdain, showing off her luxury watch she said, "I've got a thing for luxury watches. This one's a favourite of mine— hard to come by, though."
Alethea glanced at the luxury watch, wondering if that watch could cover her entire college fee. 'I'm tempted to find this watch in my backpack and forget to return it.'
Sophia casually dismissed their enthusiasm, "I love how they mass-produce these days. So... accessible. Yet people say it's hard to come by. Tho it's definitely cute. I do have a few like that in my summer collection"
Alethea wondered: 'I didn't know college students were required to have a net worth higher than my student loan debt. I feel like an alien.'
It didn't take two minutes for the conversation to shift towards Sophia while everyone trying to ask her about her favourite brands and make up tips. Sophia didn't particularly find the conversation interesting, she shifted her glance towards and asked her a question, "Hey you didn't say what brand this T-shirt was? It's cute. I want one too."
'If only a handsome guy was this interested in me.' Alethea appreciated Sophia for welcoming her and everything but she keeps feeling uncomfortable for no reason. To Alethea, Sophia is nice and perfect... It's just Alethea can't imagine herself belonging anywhere near her. It all felt too Alienated to her.
"Uh, I don't think it's a brand-name thing. Just something I picked up from a clothing store. If you want to buy it. I can tell you where I brought it from." Alethea gathered courage and spoke those words. 'What can go wrong in saying the truth?' that's what Alethea thought, but in another second there was a long pause. The group's murmurs were punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the soft creak of leather seats as they shifted uncomfortably.
"Thanks, it's... um, nice. But I don't think I'd wear anything without a brand name. It's just what I'm used to." Sophia gave her a tight smile and went on sipping her cocktail. Alethea's finger drummed against her thigh, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for an escape.
The luxury watch girl's face reddened, her eyes flashing with indignation as she glared at Alethea. She felt insulted to be seated on the same table as Alethea. "You have got to be kidding me! I don't know what's more disturbing, the fact you're wearing that or the fact that you think it's okay to wear that! Does no one see a problem with it?"
Alethea's eyes widened as she stared at the girl, her mind racing with realisation. 'High school manga and anime aren't the only places where mean girls exists, huh?'