"Alright, class dismissed!"

Papers, writing utensils, and notebooks were stuffed into backpacks as the students hurried out of the dreaded classroom. Carol was in no rush however. She would take a few extra seconds carefully packing her belongings if it meant the insides of her purse didn't look like they had been ravaged by raccoons.

With that, she slung her purse over her shoulder and made her way towards the door, still glad to leave the classroom and get on with her day. It was now lunch period, a time beloved by millions of students across the world. Who wouldn't appreciate spending an hour in their school day relaxing, hanging out with friends, and not having to do schoolwork?

Sigh. If only that was how lunch worked for Carol. Of course she'd take a few minutes to savor her fruit salad, but a high achiever like her couldn't afford to relax. There was always studying that could be done. Perhaps there was a homework assignment she could offload to make room for piano practice later. Brush up on potential pop quizzes, review her previous tests (curse that 97/100!), the possibilities were endless. So much to do and so little time. Hell, during her daily march to the cafeteria, there was constant pushing and shoving through the crowded hallway. Could she ever get a break? Her days were always packed to the brim; even when she had something fun planned, it had to be booked somehow into her otherwise right schedule. Couldn't she take a moment to, y'know, relax?

Oof! Carol bumped her shoulder against another person in the hall. She turned her head as she sought out the person that had so rudely collided with her. Gosh, how hard is it to watch where you're going? It was enough trouble having to fend for herself, but if her classmates didn't have the same human decency to- Wait, Becky?

Indeed, she recognized that girl, who was checking through her purse to see if she dropped anything. They had chemistry class together last year, and they were often assigned together as lab partners.

"Oh, hi!" Becky glanced up and apologized before rummaging through her belongings again.

"Hey," Carol responded. "It's been a while." She gave a small wave and smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Becky reaffirmed, now fully paying attention to the conversation. "What have you been up to? What kind of classes are you taking?"

"Just the usual," Carol answered. "I still have to take one more year of French…"

"I feel ya, I feel ya," Becky said, glancing away. "I'm glad I got that over with last year."

"That's good!"

She waited for a response, but a few seconds passed with not a word from either of them. Despite the commotion in the hallway, the awkward silence that stood between the duo was deafening by comparison. She desperately scraped the bottom of the barrel for more things to say, but alas, they came up empty. It was hard to find something to work with when the only experience they had between them was cooperating towards earning a grade.

"I'll uh, I'll see you later."

They exchanged waves and Carol walked past the girl, avoiding eye contact as she disappeared into the bustling crowds. What the hell was that!? She was supposed to be better than this! How could she possibly expect to be respected if she couldn't hold a simple conversation for longer than thirty seconds!? Absolutely unacceptable. Ugh.

She pushed past another person probably a little harder than she should have, not caring enough to look back or apologize. Eventually, she arrived at the double doors, where students were pouring in en masse. They dispersed into the wide open environment, finding their friends and cliques to sit with at their respective tables. Meanwhile, Carol gripped her purse tightly as she made her way towards her usual table next to the windows.

She arrived at the (thankfully) empty table and started digging into her purse as she sat down. Eventually, she pulled out a sheet of paper and her French notebook and laid them out on her desk. Okay, so she wasn't gonna be hanging out with anyone. Again. Fine, they'd just get in the way of her 99 average. With a huff, she opened the notebook, ready to get her homework assignment over with.

The notebook pages were packed to the brim. Sure, there were notes on the lines, neatly organized with different colored pens and highlighters for easy access. But surrounding it were all sorts of incoherent doodles perpetually occupying her mind. Some of them were mere scribbles, while others took on identifiable figures. This page in particular was surrounded by blue and purple hearts all around. Her two favorite colors. Symbolic for Carol Pingrey. It was important to love herself, and she could rest assured that everyone else loved her too…

Right?

Anyways, the French homework. Right, that was a thing. She rummaged through her bag for her pencil case and took out a pencil before beginning to read the first question on the sheet.

The entire sheet called for her to translate English sentences into French. Sure, okay. Fine. She'll have a good time translating "My Name is [your name here]," just gotta make sure to check her notes twenty times to translate each individual word, and don't forget to check for the grammar rules too! Good luck finding any of that through all your doodles!

Carol couldn't help ruffling her hair a bit with a frustrated growl. God, French class was so boring! It wasn't her fault that her notes were incomprehensible, how else was she supposed to not die of boredom?! Try to find anything that makes sense in a language. As soon as there was any semblance of security in having found a pattern, BAM! There were twenty different exceptions to the rule. It felt so shallow, like congrats you can barely talk to another small percentage of the population. About what? Hey random guy in Paris, Je m'appelle Carol Pingrey et je ne sais pas francais. What next? How's the weather today? Please.

Yeah, that was some shallow conversation huh. Like that little incident in the hallway. God, that was embarrassing. That awkward silence towards the end? Not like anyone else saw that, but Carol remembered. She remembered how quickly Becky's demeanor shifted, the way her eyes glanced away as she clearly searched for a reason to escape the social awkwardness. The half-hearted wave they gave each other as they went their separate ways, a desperate attempt at putting the past behind them. But Carol knew, from this day forth, Becky would be silently judging her from a distance, never letting her live down that pitiful stain until the end of time. Carol could almost hear the people laughing at her inside her head…

Wait, that wasn't in her head. That was real.

She feasted her eyes upon a certain girl that had plagued her mind for the past few days now, letting out a hearty guffaw with her friends as they approached a nearby table. Carol recognized the two girls that accompanied her, Dana and Whitney was it?

"Okay okay okay!" Lori said as she finally sat down. "But that's not all of it-"

"There's more!?" Whitney interrupted her.

"You literally have no idea how crazy this trip was! There's the egg salad sandwich incident…"

"Ooh this is gonna be good," Dana said, rubbing her hands together with an anticipatory grin.

Carol watched from afar as the girls burst into laughter again. They were exhibiting such joyful cheers that stood out from the boorish crowd, and she couldn't help her intrigue as she scooched a little closer to hear them better.

"So you guys know my sister Leni, right?" Lori began. "As if hearing Lana ask about if we're there yet wasn't enough, it was almost noon, and people started complaining about getting hungry. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was hungry too, but I didn't make a big deal out of it!"

"She was probably munching on those awful low-cal bean chips again!" Dana said, not so discreetly whispering to Whitney.

"Ooh, you really wanna avoid those, they give you gas!" Whitney added.

"Never mind that!" Lori quickly said. "Anyways, my mom comes out and says we have sandwiches, and we're all excited-"

"Yeah, way better than low-cal bean chips," Dana interrupted.

"Shhhh!" Lori put a finger to her lip for emphasis, amid fits of laughter. "Anyways, we're all excited and hungry, right? So Lynn started passing the sandwiches around- actually I should say she threw the sandwiches around, I swear she was trying to hit our faces on purpose, everything's a sport to her!"

She said this without any hint of malice or condescension actually. It sounded as if Lori was speaking fondly of their mishaps, and Carol couldn't help but lean in closer to hear the story.

"It's okay though, we're used to her antics by now and again, we're hungry!" She exclaimed, eyes widening and hands waving for emphasis. "So we start ripping the foils off, and there's our sandwiches; My mouth was literally watering! They're egg salad sandwiches, not my favorite but we start eating them anyway because food is food, right? What could possibly go wrong?"

You know, now that Carol thought about it, this Lori girl really had a way with her words. The passion radiating from her voice, the expressive hand gestures accompanying it, the little details that gave life to the story, and the suspense she slowly built over time. All these elements masterfully came together to create an entertaining tale, leaving Carol sitting on the edge of the seat begging to know more. She just had to hear what happened to those sandwiches dammit!

"Well…" Lori put up a finger for emphasis, "Luna starts feeling kinda funny in her stomach, and soon everyone else is squirming in their seats. We ask what the heck are in those sandwiches, and you know what Leni says?"

She paused before finally saying: "I don't know, I made them weeks ago!"

"No way!" Dana exclaimed.

"She did not!" Whitney added.

Carol put a hand up to her mouth and softly chuckled as well. What a clever twist!

"Yes way!" Lori reasserted. "I love Leni and all, but sometimes I really gotta keep an eye on her, you never know what she's gonna do!"

"Oh yeah, that's crazy, I mean, who does that?" Dana wondered out loud. "It's a little concerning…"

"Are you sure she's gonna be okay?" Whitney asked. "She's sixteen and still does these things?"

"Okay, I know she's a ditz sometimes, yes," Lori admitted. "And she does make some mistakes sometimes- I mean, the story I told just now was about a mistake she made. But she's also one of the sweetest kindest people I've ever met!"

Carol raised an eyebrow at that.

"Think about it!" Lori continued. "She was so excited for the road trip that she took it upon herself to make sandwiches for all of us! Sure she didn't think about how the sandwiches would be old and all, but don't you see how amazing this is? Most of us would have probably avoided it or waited until the last second, but she just cares so much..."

There was a twinkle to her eyes and an affectionate sigh to her voice; Carol couldn't help but soften her gaze and smile softly at this sight. Lori was assertive, but not overbearing. She clearly had a firm resolve to her stance, but they seemed to come from a genuine love for her dear family. It was just so wonderful!

For the rest of the period, Carol continued listening in on the trio's conversation, constantly on the edge of her seat and enamored by the fun they were having. They talked about all sorts of things! More crazy tales from their road trip, high school gossip, shopping, and several inside jokes she didn't get, but that didn't matter! They were having the time of their lives, and maybe- just maybe, she could try and experience some of that as well.

BRRRRRRING!

Suddenly, the bell rang, and Carol's immersion was broken. She blinked and shook her head as she glanced up at the clock to confirm the time. It was no longer just her and Lori's group, lost in their own little world. The commotion in the cafeteria returned, as students scrambled to pack their belongings and dispose of their lunches.

"Man Lori, you have got to tell us some more stories later," Dana commented as she got up from her seat.

"Trust me, in my family, there's an endless supply!" she replied before taking a phone out of her pocket. "Selfie before we leave?"

Whitney and Dana nodded excitedly as they took their phones out and positioned themselves besides Lori. They each held their phones out in front of them and struck various poses as they were repeatedly exposed to the flash of their devices.

Eventually, they stopped and broke formation, immediately turning their heads down as the checked their individual phones.

"Ooh, this one's a keeper!" Whitney commented while scrolling through the pictures.

"Eww, there's that weird little red dot on my eyes!" Dana complained.

"Aww Dana, you look great!" Lori reassured her. "Here, look, what do you guys think of this one? I'll post it on SwiftyPic and tag both of you." She held her phone out for both of them to see.

Whitney and Dana both took a quick glance, and their eyes lit up as they both started nodding excitedly once again.

"Awesome!"

"Great!"

Satisfied with the results, the trio gathered their belongings and quickly made their way towards the exit. They seemed to start talking about whatever classes they were going to, but by then, they had gone too far for Carol to hear. Nonetheless, she continued watching as they went further into the distance, up until they all disappeared through the double doors. Even then, she held her gaze for a few more seconds, up until the double doors closed and they were completely out of view.

Seeing this, Carol felt a part of her leave as well. Gone was the carefree happiness, joy, and presence from before. Here, she was left to herself again.

She glanced downwards to the open notebook and homework sheet, the latter of which was still completely blank. Not even a name written down, and she didn't care enough to do it now either. Instead, she just gathered her belongings and shoved them into her purse, pushing those responsibilities aside for another time.

Despite the commotion in the lunchroom, Carol couldn't help but feel her heart sinking as the noise started muffling in her mind and her vision blurred ever so slightly. All these people around her, they had friends of their own, their stories to share, and the many laughs to be had. They might not have much in the way of grades, but they all had something she didn't, and only now did she realize how priceless their gift was.

That conversation earlier… Lori and her two side girls were enjoying themselves while Carol was stuck watching from a cage. Lori had everything. She had a family that loved her. She had many experiences, and she had people to share them with. She had this amazing talent for telling stories that rivaled- no, superseded Carol's abilities. Her charisma was perfect! Her hair was gorgeous! She was such a sweetheart~!

What did Carol have to show for herself? What did those school grades matter for? What did her public speaking skills matter for, what did her piano skills matter for, what did anything she do matter for? Who would she share these things with? The reality was, they didn't. All this time, she was trapped inside her own box, entertaining herself with her selfish pride. But at some point, she'd have to wonder about the world out there, and here she was now, yearning for something greater.

She picked her purse up and slung it on her shoulder, timidly pacing towards the door as she gripped it tightly. There was no point in dwelling any further. Despite how hard she worked, some people are just better, no matter what.

As she approached the double doors, she dug into her purse and pulled out her phone, beginning to swipe away at the notifications. Promotional emails she was too lazy to unsubscribe from, reminders that class was starting, no messages from Mom and Dad-

Dang it! She swiped left and accidentally switched to the camera on the phone. She hated when that happened! What more, here she was, now staring at an angle of her own face. Her reflection taunted her, giving a reminder of who she was, and how she wouldn't ever compare to some people. Lori probably took better selfies. Meanwhile, Carol's hair was starting to fall flat again! She begrudgingly started touching up her scalp, do what little she could to preserve her appearance. Say what she could about herself, she could at least try to be a little presentable!

That was when she paused. She gazed at her own reflection for a few seconds, studying the little details that were presented to her. Y'know, all things considered, she really didn't look that bad. Her hair still held up pretty well, definitely until the end of the day. Her makeup was also alright too, just enough to enhance without smothering her face in an unrecognizable mess. There was one crucial component that was missing however, just one detail to complete the perfect image.

Carol grinned at the camera, put a peace sign up to her face and winked before pressing a button on her phone. A flash and a clicking noise later, she checked the selfie that she had just taken for herself.

Hey, not bad! There was the missing piece to the puzzle. She added confidence. This time, the picture staring back at her represented someone that could succeed. Someone that knew what was up. Someone that wasn't afraid to take on the world.

She smirked to herself as she opened the app store and searched for the SwiftyPic app, immediately tapping on the first result and pressing the download button. With that, she pushed through the double doors, opening the gates to new possibilities. The world would know of her perfection! She'd document her life, snapshot her piano sessions, her hardworking lifestyle, and the fruits of her labor! She was Carol Pingrey, and Carol Pingrey would show the world what she was made of!

Lori was doing something right. There was something she had that Carol didn't. Such amazing friends, such a wonderful personality, so many experiences to share, all the compassion and kindness, all the goodness emanating from her very being...

Perhaps one day, Carol could have what Lori had as well.