Cher Horowitz didn’t like losing.

Not at tennis. Not at mall trivia contests. Not even at being herself.

But lately… she had been struggling.

You noticed first during a group project for history class. Cher was trying to organize everyone—of course—but instead of being her usual brilliant self, she kept snapping at people over tiny mistakes. Dionne gave you a worried look, and you knew what had to happen.

“Cher,” you said quietly after class, “can we talk?”

She turned, instantly lighting up like a sunbeam. “Of course, babe! What’s up? Did you see the outfit I helped Tai pick? Iconic, right?”

You smiled, but shook your head. “No, Cher. I mean… you. You’ve been… kind of harsh lately. On everyone. And on yourself.”

Her smile faltered. “Harsh? Me? I’m… I’m always supportive.”

You crossed your arms. “Sometimes being honest isn’t the same as being helpful. And honestly, you’ve been putting way too much pressure on yourself. I think it’s affecting how you treat others.”

Cher’s lips pressed together. “Okay, wow. That’s… rude but maybe true?”

“Exactly,” you said. “And that’s why we need to do a little Cher vs. Cher intervention.”

She blinked. “Intervention?”

“Yes,” you said firmly, “You versus… yourself. Because the only way you can be your best self is by facing the parts you don’t like—your flaws, your insecurities, your obsession with perfection. And I’m here to help.”

Cher’s jaw dropped. “Babe… that sounds… terrifying. And… slightly brilliant. Okay… what do we do?”

You started small. “First, admit one thing you did recently that wasn’t… great.”

Cher’s mind raced. Finally, she whispered, “…I yelled at Tai for asking a question in class. And she didn’t even do anything wrong. I just… panicked because I wanted the project to be perfect.”

“Good,” you said gently. “Now, own it. Say it out loud, and mean it.”

Cher sighed dramatically but did it anyway. “I… yelled at Tai because I was trying to control everything and be perfect. And that wasn’t fair.”