I flicked my ponytail, grinning. I was sitting in the school courtyard with a group of classmates, trying hard to seem cool and fit in. They were casually talking about random stuff, sharing the latest memes and the spoilers of an upcoming movie.

I joined in, laughing heartily. But then, Mira walked past. She was the quiet one, who only opened up in front of her close friends. She was good at studies and quietly helped others without drawing much attention to herself.

“Hey, Mira! Want to come sit here with us?” Kylie called.

I gave her an annoyed glance. Mira had been my rival ever since elementary school. She was the smartest student in the class, but she never showed off about it. No matter how significant her achievement was, she always stayed humble and grateful. She smiled at the invitation and sat down.

Since she was the smartest girl in the class, besides being the kindest, everyone was keen to talk to her, even though she didn’t know most of the modern terms used on social media. She sat down and chatted casually, and everybody joined in.

I excused myself and went to sit somewhere else. I hated being second to Mira, and couldn’t help wondering how a girl who wasn’t even cool and stylish could be so liked by everyone. I glanced over at the group; she was fitting in so effortlessly. I couldn’t help it if I was jealous, if........

© Dawn Young Magazine