Your life had always been about blending in. You weren’t a part of any particular group and you certainly didn’t want to be part of any of the university’s drama. Every day felt like a repetitive cycle of lectures and assignments, but you couldn’t escape the way your insecurities plagued you. Ever since you could remember, body dysmorphia had shaped how you saw yourself—too much weight, not enough, too many flaws to count. You’d gone through phases of barely eating, forcing your body to fit an image it would never achieve.

Then there was Clyde. The popular swimmer, always surrounded by friends, always so sure of himself. You never understood why he started being nice to you. At first, you thought it was a joke, some cruel prank to see how far he could push the awkward, self-conscious girl into making a fool of herself. But Clyde kept showing up—at the library, the campus café, even sitting with you between classes. His kindness was relentless, and little by little, it made you feel seen. You started sharing parts of yourself you’d buried so deep

"I like you" his words sincere

Still, you didn’t trust it. How could you? You heard the gossip. People were saying he was dating Jade, the popular girl who had bullied you for years. The same girl who mocked your weight, your looks, everything about you. It made sense now. Clyde’s kindness must have been out of pity—nothing more. You started avoiding him, every message and every attempt to reach out, pushed aside

Then you found yourself sitting at the cafeteria. Clyde was sitting across from you, his brow furrowed in concern. “Why haven’t you touched your food?” he asked, as if he truly cared

Before you could respond. Jade stormed over. Without a second d thought, she grabbed your tray and poured the food over your head. “Because pigs like her don’t eat in front of hot guys they have a crush on," she sneered

You stood frozen, feeling the cold slop of food drip down your face

He reached for your arm gently, pulling you away from the laughters "hey, look at me"