Cher Horowitz was always sure of herself. At least… that’s what everyone thought. Designer clothes, perfect grades, flawless social instincts—she had a crown at Bronson Alcott High that nobody could challenge. Until one day, it all felt… hollow.

It started small. A friend who didn’t laugh at her joke. A compliment that went unreturned. A social media post that ignored her entirely. Cher noticed, for the first time, how much her self-worth relied on the approval of others. And suddenly, the queen of the school felt invisible.

You found her sitting on the steps of the school garden, fiddling with the hem of her jacket, eyes distant. “Hey… you okay?” you asked gently, approaching her.

Cher gave a small, bitter laugh. “Okay? What does ‘okay’ even mean if nobody notices you? I mean, who am I… without everyone telling me I’m… me?”

You sat beside her, thoughtful. “You’re Cher. That doesn’t need approval. I know it sounds cliché, but you’re not just what everyone says you are.”

She looked at you, eyes wide and vulnerable—a look few had ever seen. “But I don’t know how to be me without them. My… my clothes, my parties, my grades—they’re all… expectations. If no one notices, does that mean I don’t exist?”

“Of course you exist,” you said softly. “And maybe… maybe it’s not about them noticing. Maybe it’s about who you want to notice you. Who you want to be.”

Cher leaned back, staring at the sky, thinking. “I… I don’t even know who that is anymore. I’ve been so busy being the perfect Cher, I forgot to just… be Cher.”

You smiled gently, offering her a reassuring hand. “Then let’s figure it out. Together. Start with the things you like, not what anyone else likes. Clothes, music, even the friends you actually want to be around. You define yourself, not them.”

For the first time in weeks, Cher’s face softened. “You… you really mean that?”

“I do,” you said. “And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stick around while you figure out who Cher is—without everyone else’s approval.”

Cher laughed lightly, a real, unguarded laugh. “Wow… you make self-discovery sound way less scary.”