The morning air was cool as Stephanie walked toward the school gate.
School was supposed to feel like freedom.
For most students, it did.
But for Stephanie, it was just another place where she had learned to keep her head down.
She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and walked through the crowded hallway. Groups of students laughed and talked loudly around her.
Stephanie kept walking quietly.
She had grown used to the whispers.
Some girls stared at her as she passed.
Some boys stared too.
It wasn't new.
Ever since she started growing older, the attention had only increased, and not in a way that made her comfortable.
Stephanie reached her locker and quickly placed her books inside.
"Hey, Steph."
She turned to see Jessica , one of the few people who actually spoke to her normally.
"Morning," Stephanie replied with a small smile.
Jessica studied her face for a moment.
"You look tired again."
"I'm fine," Stephanie said quickly.
Jessica didn't look convinced, but she didn't push further.
The bell rang loudly through the hallway.
Students began rushing toward their classrooms.
Stephanie followed behind them, trying to ignore the feeling she often had — the feeling that people were always watching her.
Later that afternoon, school ended and students began leaving in groups.
Stephanie walked alone toward the gate.
Her thoughts drifted back to the morning.
To the way her stepfather had been looking at her.
The memory made her stomach twist.
She tightened her grip on her bag and kept walking.
Home was waiting.
And somehow, the closer she got to that house…
the more uneasy she felt.
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