I timidly stepped out of my aunt's car, dressed in clothes I had carefully selected from Amber's closet - a floral blouse and skinny jeans that felt foreign on my body. My hands shook slightly as I adjusted the straps of Amber's bra.
My heart was racing as I looked up at the imposing high school building.
High school. How the fuck was I going to be able to pull this off? I was just in middle school!
"Have a great first day back, sweetie!" Aunt Karen called out as she drove away.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to walk towards the entrance.
Students milled about, chatting and laughing with their friends. I scanned the crowd nervously, hoping to spot one of the girls from the photo in Amber's room. But all the faces were unfamiliar, and panic began to rise in my throat.
I felt completely lost and alone.
"Amber!" a voice called out.
I spun around, nearly losing my balance on Amber's higher-heeled shoes. A tall, blonde girl was waving and walking towards me, a wide smile on her face.
"Oh my God, I missed you so much over break!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Right, of course! How was your trip? Did you have fun with your family?" she asked as we started walking towards the school entrance.
I nodded, "Yeah, it was... nice. Good to see everyone."
She nodded sympathetically. "Right, of course. Well, come on, we don't want to be late for homeroom."
I followed her through the crowded hallways. I noticed some older guys –well, of Amber’s age–
eyeing me - or rather, eyeing Amber's body. Their gazes lingered on my chest and hips. I tried to ignore their stares, my face burning with embarrassment.
"Hey, so did you hear about Jake and Melissa?" the blonde girl asked as we navigated the bustling hallway. "Apparently they broke up over break. Total drama."
I nodded, trying to look interested while my mind raced. Who were Jake and Melissa? Were they Amber's friends? I had no idea how to respond.
"Oh, um, that's too bad," I mumbled, hoping it was an appropriate response.
The girl gave me a strange look. "Too bad? I thought you'd be thrilled. Didn't you have a huge crush on Jake last year?"
Uh oh. Amber had a crush? On a guy who just became single?
"Right, of course," I stammered, "I just meant... it's too bad they broke up. But, uh, yeah. That's... interesting news.”
The blonde girl - whose name I still didn't know - gave me another odd look. "Are you feeling okay, Amber? You seem kind of off today."
"I'm fine," I said quickly, "Just, um, a little tired from the trip, I guess."
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