She just needed to get it out. The food. The shame. The pain.

Everything.

Her breathing quickened.

Her heart pounded.

But just as she was about to do it, the bathroom door creaked open.

Rose froze.

Footsteps.

Slow. Deliberate.

And then—

A soft, cheerful voice.

"Rose? You in here?"

Her stomach clenched.

Sofia.

Of course.

Of all the people who could have walked in, why did it have to be her?

Rose hesitated, her fingers curling into the tile.

She couldn’t let her see.

Not like this.

"Uh, yeah," Rose called out, her voice hoarse.

"You okay?"

No.

Not even close.

But she forced herself to stand, wiping at her face quickly before stepping out of the stall.

Sofia was leaning against the sink, her head tilted in curiosity.

"You missed the end of lunch," Sofia said, offering a small smile. "Figured you might’ve been hiding in here."

Rose forced a laugh. "What gave it away?"

Sofia shrugged. "Just a hunch."

She studied Rose for a moment, eyes scanning her face.

"You sure you’re okay?"

Rose hesitated.

Lying was easier.

Safer.

Sofia may be nice, but she was also a rich kid.

"Yeah," she said shrugging. "I just needed a minute."

Sofia didn’t look convinced but she didn’t push.

Instead, she smiled. "Good. Because I was about to stage a bathroom rescue mission."

Rose blinked cutely. "A… what?"

"You know, bust down the door, demand answers, make a dramatic speech about friendship. The whole thing."

Despite herself, Rose snorted.

And just like that, some of the weight on her chest lifted.

Just a little.

Just enough to go on with her day.

But then—

A new voice.

Cold. Sharp.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is."

Rose’s breath hitched.

Sofia stiffened.

The door swung open fully, revealing Lily and two other girls behind her.

Lily smirked. "I thought I saw you run in here."

Rose swallowed.

Her body screamed at her to run.

To move.

But she couldn’t.

Because she knew it wouldn’t matter.

“Don’t I get a break period from you?”

Lily stepped closer, her reflection in the mirror towering over Rose’s own.

"You looked so pathetic back there," Lily continued, her voice sickly sweet. "I almost felt bad."

Sofia’s hand curled into a fist. "Leave her alone, Lily."

Lily’s eyes flicked to Sofia, amusement dancing in them.

"Aww, that’s cute. You have a new friend now, Rose?" Lily turned back to Rose. "Actually, I was concerned so I came to check up on you. Perhaps your lunch gave you an upset stomach?.” Lily placed her hand on her chest with a fake concerned look covering her face.

Sofia stepped forward. "You to back off Lily. Rose is a student at Dynasty as much as each of us are."

Lily tilted her head. "And what if I don’t?"

Silence.

Heavy. Suffocating.

Rose’s pulse pounded in her ears.

She had been here before.

And she knew how this ended.

The tension was thick, a battle of wills.

And then—

Lily’s smirk widened.

She turned to Maddie beside her, "Lock the door."

Click.

The sound echoed in the bathroom.

Rose’s stomach dropped.

Sofia’s face darkened. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Lily giggled. "Not at all."

Rose took a step back.

Trapped.

Her eyes darted to the mirror.

To her reflection.

And all she could think was—

She was a harbinger of bad luck.

….

Another day. Another misery.

That was Rose mantra. At least, thankfully, none of the girls wanted to room with her so she got night to herself.

Rose stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, watching water pelt down her face, “Should I just quit?.”

But even then she couldn’t. What would she tell her Grandmother who worked exceptionally hard for her? What example will she be setting for Ben- her younger brother? How will she show her Dad that they were, that she was better than his judgement of her?.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Lily’s voice sliced through the lecture hall as soon as Rose stepped inside.

The class fell silent for a moment, all eyes drawn to her tardy entrance.

Heat crawled up Rose’s neck as her steps faltered. She forced herself forward, every muscle tense and alert. She knew that even a five-minute delay was enough ammunition for them. And getting an earful from the professor won’tbe helpful for her.

Thankfully, Prof. Maurice threw her a cursory glance before going back to scrolling on his laptop.

“Guess she was busy stuffing her face,” Bryce’s voice, low and mocking, trailed behind her, punctuated by quiet snickers from the surrounding group. The casual cruelty felt like a physical blow.

“Do you even care about being here on time?” someone else muttered, and the whispers swirled around her like a noxious mist.

Rose’s heart hammered in her chest. She’d learned long ago that no matter how hard she tried to be invisible, the bullies always found a way to remind her she was different.

She reached her seat in the middle of the hall—a seat chosen by fate, flanked on one side by strangers and on the other by familiar tormentors. As she slid into the chair, she felt the weight of a thousand eyes burning into her back. Before she could settle, she noticed something that made her stomach clench—a picture taped haphazardly to her desk.

It was a distorted version of an old photo from last year’s art exhibition, when she’d stood timidly beside one of her paintings. But now, the image was grotesquely altered. Her once-delicate features were morphed into something unrecognizable, her face was padded with extra chins, her expression a mixture of horror and disbelief. Beneath the warped image, bold red letters screamed,

Keep eating, Piggy. Maybe they’ll roll you to the next class.

A cold wave of nausea surged through her. Whispers erupted around her. Someone hissed. “What a joke.”

Rose’s hands trembled so violently under the desk that she had to clench them into fists. Without another word, she stuffed the picture into her bag and tried to focus on the professor’s introduction. But every whispered remark and sideways glance magnified her isolation, her inner turmoil rising like a tide she couldn’t control.

During the lecture, Rose’s thoughts drifted between the professor’s words and the cruel images burned into her memory. The red letters echoed in her mind

Piggy. Keep eating.

Rose’s heart rate quickened as she recalled every cutting comment, every moment of humiliation. The pressure built until it became unbearable.

At one point, a buzz on her phone broke her concentration. She hesitated, then glanced at the screen. The messages were fresh—hateful, biting texts from Bryce, Lily, and a few others

“Enjoy the snack, Piggy?”

“Maybe you should draw a self-portrait. Call it ‘Before the Diet Failed.’”

The cruel banters struck her like a series of blows. Her throat constricted, and she bit down hard, refusing to let the tears fall. Yet, inside, the anger and despair were mounting.

Finally, the lecture ended. The room emptied slowly, but the damage was done. With trembling hands, Rose gathered her belongings and bolted from the lecture hall before anyone could catch up to her.