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Description
The day after, she expected to feel amazing. Two weeks of dating had led up to a night that she never dreamed would happen. Laying in her bed, their arms and legs tangled together, his body so close to hers that she was absorbed in his scent.

She wore the bruises on her neck proudly into school, smiling to herself as she transferred books in her locker. She glanced at the clock, knowing that it would only be a handful of seconds before her short-time boyfriend popped up. And he did, though not in the affectionate way she was accompanied to.

"Elisa, we need to talk," he said, leaning on the door of her locker, the same way he had the first time he talked to her. She stared at him, unsure of whether to feel concerned or happy. Behind him, his posse appeared, grinning and elbowing each other, as was their typical behavior.

One of them popped up behind Ethan's shoulder. "So, how was he?" the boy asked, startling Elisa into silence. "Did you really have sex with him? How's it feel to have been part of a dare?"

The sound around her dampened, her world collapsing so that all she sensed was Ethan yelling at his friend, though she couldn't hear the words. She felt her knees shaking, but she couldn't move her arms to hold onto something. The sensation was similar to her trip to the beach, though instead of feeling hot, she felt an intense chill that froze her to the spot.

Outside of her panic, Ethan was shoving his friend away from him. "Dude, I told you that I was going to take care of this!" The immediate teenagers surrounding them stopped and stared at the situation that was occurring. The crew of popular boys had stopped to stare at their two companions as the loud-mouthed boy stared in disdain at Ethan.

"Elisa," Ethan turned back to face her, his eyebrows crinkling in concern as he saw the girl staring at the ground in shock. "It wasn't just a dare, okay? I mean…it was, but…" She looked up at him, her eyes wide and frightened.

"C'mon, dude," one of his crew members muttered behind him, tugging on his shoulder a little, "we gotta get going." Ethan looked once more at the girl he had been attached to for the past couple of weeks, a little reluctant to let go.

As she watched him turn and leave, Elisa heard the cacophony of the high school hallway come back. She leaned against her open locker, staring out at the other students who passed by her. Something inside her chest longed to scream out, but a lump in her throat kept it inside, silencing her. The students passed by her without a glance, without noticing her.

The locker door flung at her, closing on her and bouncing back open. She winced and looked over at a couple of girls who glared at the door as if it hadn't closed simply to defy them. They walked off, leaving Elisa there feeling the pain of being invisible.

The day after, she felt like nothing again.

Description
The day after, she expected to feel amazing. Two weeks of dating had led up to a night that she never dreamed would happen. Laying in her bed, their arms and legs tangled together, his body so close to hers that she was absorbed in his scent.

She wore the bruises on her neck proudly into school, smiling to herself as she transferred books in her locker. She glanced at the clock, knowing that it would only be a handful of seconds before her short-time boyfriend popped up. And he did, though not in the affectionate way she was accompanied to.

"Elisa, we need to talk," he said, leaning on the door of her locker, the same way he had the first time he talked to her. She stared at him, unsure of whether to feel concerned or happy. Behind him, his posse appeared, grinning and elbowing each other, as was their typical behavior.

One of them popped up behind Ethan's shoulder. "So, how was he?" the boy asked, startling Elisa into silence. "Did you really have sex with him? How's it feel to have been part of a dare?"

The sound around her dampened, her world collapsing so that all she sensed was Ethan yelling at his friend, though she couldn't hear the words. She felt her knees shaking, but she couldn't move her arms to hold onto something. The sensation was similar to her trip to the beach, though instead of feeling hot, she felt an intense chill that froze her to the spot.

Outside of her panic, Ethan was shoving his friend away from him. "Dude, I told you that I was going to take care of this!" The immediate teenagers surrounding them stopped and stared at the situation that was occurring. The crew of popular boys had stopped to stare at their two companions as the loud-mouthed boy stared in disdain at Ethan.

"Elisa," Ethan turned back to face her, his eyebrows crinkling in concern as he saw the girl staring at the ground in shock. "It wasn't just a dare, okay? I mean…it was, but…" She looked up at him, her eyes wide and frightened.

"C'mon, dude," one of his crew members muttered behind him, tugging on his shoulder a little, "we gotta get going." Ethan looked once more at the girl he had been attached to for the past couple of weeks, a little reluctant to let go.

As she watched him turn and leave, Elisa heard the cacophony of the high school hallway come back. She leaned against her open locker, staring out at the other students who passed by her. Something inside her chest longed to scream out, but a lump in her throat kept it inside, silencing her. The students passed by her without a glance, without noticing her.

The locker door flung at her, closing on her and bouncing back open. She winced and looked over at a couple of girls who glared at the door as if it hadn't closed simply to defy them. They walked off, leaving Elisa there feeling the pain of being invisible.

The day after, she felt like nothing again.