Jill stared at the cigarette between her fingers, watching the ember glow at the tip as the wind brushed past them on the rooftop. She took a slow drag, her eyes thoughtful. "Funny," she said quietly, "I used to hate these things... then they became the only thing that kept me calm."
Her voice grew softer as the memories crept in.
The classroom was buzzing with noise that day, students chatting, laughing, tossing paper balls at one another. Jill slouched in her chair, eyes half-lidded in boredom, arms crossed in silent defiance. The teacher entered and clapped her hands loudly.
"Settle down! We have a new student today!"
The chatter died instantly.
"Come in, dear."
A girl stepped through the door with the sun at her back, as if she carried her own light. Her hair was tied in a playful side ponytail, her smile so bright it felt like spring had entered the room.
"Hi everyone! My name's Klaris! Please take care of me!" she said with a cheer that felt out of place in that grey, bitter classroom.
The teacher pointed at the seat next to Jill. "You can sit there, Klaris."
"Okay!" Klaris chirped and happily bounced her way toward the seat, placing her bag down neatly before turning to Jill. "Hi! My name's Klaris! Please take care of me!"
Jill scoffed and rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, yeah, just sit down."
But something... shifted.
That moment stuck with her. A tiny flicker sparked in Jill's darkened heart—a flicker that warmed, then grew, breaking through the wall of bitterness she'd built up for years.
Months passed. Slowly, inevitably, they became inseparable. Jill stopped hanging out with the older kids who snuck off to smoke behind the gym or picked on the weak. She didn't feel the need to anymore. Klaris had this odd way of making everything feel... safe. Meaningful.
They laughed at dumb jokes. They shared lunch. Jill even started doing her schoolwork just to sit near her longer.
But then came the day Jill hated the most: Family Day.
The teacher stood in front of the class one morning, smiling wide. "Alright everyone! Just a reminder, next week is Family Day! Make sure to invite your parents!"
The class erupted in cheers and chatter. Jill groaned, already feeling the sting in her chest. But then she turned to Klaris, ready to see that signature excited smile.
Instead, Klaris was silent—staring blankly into a corner of the room, her eyes wide but unfocused, her face pale.
"Ris?" Jill said softly.
No response.
Jill leaned closer, her voice more forceful. "Aris? Klaris!"
Klaris flinched, then turned with that familiar bright smile. "Yes?! Sorry! Just zoned out a bit."
Jill narrowed her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yup! Totally!" Klaris beamed again, but her voice had that crack—the kind that tried too hard to sound cheerful.
Jill didn't push it. "If you say so…"
The days passed. Klaris acted normal again, but Jill noticed the way her eyes sometimes drifted off, her hand trembling slightly when she thought no one was looking.
Then came Family Day.
Jill wandered the school courtyard, arms folded, lips twisted in a scowl. Children laughed as they posed for pictures with their families. Some parents brought cake. Others set up picnic blankets.
Jill hated all of it.
"Disgusting," she muttered. "Why do they act like everything's perfect…"
She glanced around, looking for that one face—the one she came for.
"Where is she?" she grumbled. "She's late… I didn't even want to come. But I came... to meet her parents."
But Klaris never came.
Morning turned into noon. Noon into afternoon. The sun began to set. Still no sign of her.
Frustrated and worried, Jill grabbed the student directory from her bag and stormed out of the school, muttering curses under her breath. "Damn it, Klaris…"
It was already dark by the time Jill reached the address listed under Klaris' name. The street was quiet, littered with trash and rusting fences. She stopped in front of a small, rundown shack barely larger than a metal container.
She banged on the dented door. "Klaris?! Hey! Klaris!"
No answer.
Jill circled the house, fists clenched, until she spotted a faint light coming from a cracked window near the back. It was open just enough for her to peer inside.
What she saw made her knees go weak.
Klaris stood in the middle of a filthy room, still in her school uniform—torn, stained, one sleeve missing. Her face was bruised, a cut on her lip still fresh. Her hair was disheveled. She stood completely still, staring at the wall like she was somewhere else entirely.
Jill's breath hitched. Her eyes widened as tears welled up and fell down her cheeks. Her hands shook with rage, her jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Gritting her teeth, she tried to stop the scream boiling in her throat.
"No..." she whispered, trembling. "No…"
She looked down at her fists, her nails digging into her palm until blood was drawn.
That was the day something inside Jill broke—and never healed.