Ah yes, the multiverse. Just another excuse for lazy writing. But I’m including it anyway, because it’s real whether you like it or not. 

I was lying in bed after a long day of school, and one of my friends kept calling me names on account that I was starting to do things for myself instead of people-pleasing my way through our conversations and everyday interactions. Not to mention I almost got hit by a car while walking home because the driver was too impatient to wait for my friend and I to finish crossing the road. I remember stumbling forward towards the end of the crosswalk as the car, with its deafening engine, was inches away from hitting me. I quickly covered my ears to block out its roar, and this caused my friend to laugh at me.
“Seriously Mila, you’re fine!”
She noted, shortening my real name; Amelia.
 

“Whatever…let’s just go already,” I replied curtly. Then, for the rest of our walk, I remained silent while she continued to talk the entire time.  

Anyway, later in the evening, I decided to go straight to bed after my excruciatingly painful math homework, so that’s exactly what I did.  

I dreamt weird stuff that night, Although I barely remember it now, I do remember one part.  

I kept falling through this void of color, when suddenly it went black, then back to color, then black again. Over and over until I hit the ground of my school parking lot, but it wasn’t my school. 

Even though my head hurt to the point I thought I had gotten a concussion, miraculously, there wasn’t a scratch on me. Which to be honest, made it even weirder. Something felt off though, I didn’t feel like myself. I had my phone in my pocket, so I pulled it out and turned my camera on, but for some reason I got this feeling something was different about myself. 

Normally, I’d avoid my reflection like the plague. But, instead of flinching at the sight of myself, I stared in awe.  

My hair wasn’t frizzy and uncontrollable. Makeup decorated my face, making my skin look clear and soft. But the most shocking detail I had noticed was how thin I looked. Normally, if I moved my head at the wrong angle, I’d have a double chin. But no matter the angle, my jawline was clear and there was no extra layer of fat beneath it.  

I looked down at my outfit. I’d usually wear oversized hoodies and sweatpants to hide my figure. But strangely, I was wearing normal clothes. Clothes that girls my age would wear. Clothes that were meant to boost my confidence instead of hiding what brought me the most shame. 

Before I could fully process this, I heard a voice call out my name. I turned around, and my eyes widened in fear. It was a girl I used to be friends with. Annie. We met a few years ago, in middle school. She was the type of girl who had no problem making new friends, and so, we became friends when we had a class together and were assigned to seats next to each other. This lasted until one day, she believed a rumor that had circulated about me. A rumor that claimed that I was a backstabber, and that I had talked about her behind her back. It was stupid, but that didn’t stop the hurt I felt. The feeling of knowing that people were talking poorly about me and ruining my reputation around the school. A terrible reputation in school felt like being called out as some type of criminal in the real world. I was condemned from that point, causing more people to avoid me than usual.  

Without thinking, I ran away from her.
“Amelia! Wait!”
She called out, but I refused to meet her gaze. I checked my phone once again, trying to figure out where to go when I felt her grab my wrist.
“Quit avoiding me! We have to get on the bus soon!”
I avoided eye-contact with her.  

“You’re acting weird. Are you sick or something?”

“What do you want?”
I snapped, pulling my wrist away from her grasp. I gathered enough courage to face her. She seemed stunned, almost hurt by my sudden aggression.  

“We have a game later… remember?”
My eyes widened in horror.

“Sorry. I… I just feel too nauseous to go today,” I lied, looking away from her. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go through the humiliation of being on the swim team; being the only girl who couldn’t fit in the required swimsuits. The only girl who didn’t have years of experience. Being the only girl who couldn’t make friends with the rest of the team.  

“Oh,” Annie said with a sigh, “This isn’t another excuse to go hang out with your boyfriend, right?” She said in a joking manner.  

“WHAT?!” I yelped a little louder than I had expected. Apparently, this amused her, and she laughed. “I’m just joking! Just, feel better soon, alright?” 

I hated the sincerity in her voice. I hated how nice she seemed. This—had to be some kind of dream. There was no way she cared about me. Not after those rumors.
“Yeah… thanks,” I murmured before leaving, my mind feeling like it was falling apart.  

***
When I got home, I was shocked when my mom greeted me at the door. Normally, she worked during the weekdays. What was even weirder was that she was kinder to me. She asked me why I was home early, and I told her the excuse I had told to Annie. Instead of blaming my sickness for something related to my weight, she just nodded understandingly and told me to get some rest.  

I was too mentally exhausted by the time I entered my room. Everything felt so different. My room was clean for once, but I didn’t look for any other differences as I collapsed onto the bed. I had no clue what to do. When would I return to my normal life? This wasn’t right. Sure, I didn’t mind finally fitting the beauty standard. But what did this mean for every other aspect of my life? Who was I friends with? Who was my new boyfriend? More questions flooded my mind, forcing me to lay awake in bed as tears welled up in my eyes.  

What I feared most was losing my best friend. Someone I met online, though, we were closer than I had been with any of my previous friends. We only knew each other by our usernames. 

As I thought of my friend, I grabbed my phone and quickly unlocked it. I searched desperately through all my messaging apps, but the truth was bitter and unforgiving.  

In this world—this weird world where I was friends with people who would’ve bullied and belittled the real me—I had a completely new set of friends.  

I curled up in bed, feeling like I was on the verge of vomiting.
I needed to escape. And I was determined to figure out how I would do so.