Innocent

She was just a girl, innocent and pure. All she wanted was to shine and giggle like there was no tomorrow. As days went by her life changed from flying high in the sky with no limits, to being a rain drop from a gloomy cloud sobbing over an endless sea of tears. It was never like this in the beginning. She had friends all around her like a mob crew, running the school with no fear, yet always making sure she had no enemies. Her grades were on track, the future was close to her grasp, family was tighter than ever, but then her world tumbled down because of one chain reaction. She had that friend whom she trusted yet feared at the same time. She was supposed to have her back on that one night but an unthinkable mistake became worldwide news. Rumors were spread like weeds all over fresh-cut grass. Glaring eyes, pointing fingers, and harsh whispers filled the hallways as she strolled down what seemed like an endless path to class. Weeks went by and if you took one glance at her you would never notice the storm harming a delicate flower struggling to blossom in this cruel world we call life. But if you took a second to care, to gaze past the invisible mask she wears, you could see what she notices every day when she glares at herself in a mirror. Every waking hour she pulled her heart on a leash like the soldiers in Rome who tugged their victory kill along the rough ground to show its worth meant nothing. The Dignity upon her shoulder whispered reassurances to keep her standing against the hurtful rumors. It was her only friend since the others left in a flash of betrayal. The heavy weights of life-long sorrows tugged on her shirt to make her collapse down to their level. Every chance available was taken to expose her to a virus that kept eating her alive. The shine she once had was wiped away. It had faded, never wanting to be shown. It had made the journey back to normal more difficult and the harsh winds of reality only made matters worse. She prayed every night before she fell asleep for the beautiful life she once had before all this chaos. She prayed for the fun times she had with the ones she once called friends, for the confidence she had when life was simple. There will be a day where she can crush the rumors, gain trust in friends who will always have her back, explode with real laughter, and raise her failures up to accomplishments. Because she was just a girl, innocent and pure. All she wanted was to shine and giggle like there was no tomorrow.