At Hollywood Arts, every student is assigned a locker to be used for their four years there. It is their own personal space and they are told to decorate it however they saw fit; to make it express who they were. There were no actual rules about it, but it was a tradition that no one wanted to break.
Jade thinks about what to do with her locker for a long time. She doesn't want it to be some half-assed mosaic or mural or anything like that. She wants it to be creative, compelling, and deep, all the things she was. The idea comes to her in the middle of the night, a sort of Aha! moment of sudden insight. She stays up all night getting things ready and arrives at school early the next morning to get it all done.
Objectively, it looks simple enough; a collage of scissors adorning her locker door. (It definitely, contrasts with the nipple mosaic next to it.) Jade is happy with it though. Well, as happy as she ever is with anything.
It is later that day that Jade is called into Lane's office for the first (of many) times.
"Jade West, right?" he asks when she enters the room. Jade glares at him sitting on his hammock before answering in the affirmative.
"And you're a freshman, correct?"
Jade rolls her eyes. "I'm sure that's all written down in my file or whatever. When is this over because I'm missing my class now and aren't you supposed to be trying to keep me in school?"
Lane ignores the question and continues. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. The reason I called you in here is just because some of your teachers are…concerned about your collage. Your locker."
"What about it?"
"Just how you decided to decorate it. Scissors are an interesting choice. As is your wardrobe…"
Jade rolls her eyes again, this time accompanied with a loud, annoyed sigh. Wordlessly she pushes up her sleeves up past her elbows, showing him her bare arms. She can tell that he is a little surprised that there are no scars decorating her pale wrists.
Exasperated, she asks, "Can I go now?"
Lane nods but says, "If you ever need to talk…"
Jade ignores him as she shoulders her bag and exits the office.