Another painful day at school brought Alaina in her seat at the back. Doodling while the class chatted, she looked up to look for her guilty pleasure, Wyatt. She spotted him sitting with his group of friends, Crystal on his lap. Alaina had made sure to keep her hopes as low as possible, so she didn't even care. Aside from the burning feeling to punch Crystal in the face. That was it. And strong urge to chuck her out the window. Yup that was all.

Just as Alaina returned to her abstract doodling, Crystal stood up clearing her throat. The class turned to look at her curious. Smoothing out her skirt, she said in the most sugary voice, "Wyatt and I are officially dating!" Most of the class simply rolled their eyes while her friends cheered. It was all so unnecessary. Alaina never understood why she wanted to announce her relationship, wasn't it supposed to be special? Maybe this was her way of marking her territory.

Whatever it was, Alaina didn't like it. Even though it would have no effect, Alaina felt jealous. She had to remind herself that Wyatt wasn't hers, he would never be. Upon this realization, her heartstring tightened, slowly dragging her closer to the cliff.

She busied herself in her doodles. She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, soon an image formed on the sheet of paper. A lone girl sat crying, her thoughts branching out in little cloud like bubbles. The thoughts represented her own personal hell.

One featured a group of girls laughing and pointing. Tears formed in her eyes as the previous insults rushed into her head. Over the years of high school's torture, she felt she heard most of them. At least she could deal with those. But what about the whispering behind her back? The giggles of fellow classmates as they pointed at her? She didn't know what they were saying, what rumours had been spread around the school. She didn't have any way of convincing herself that it was all false and that she was better than this. All Alaina could do was wonder what more they could say to hurt her.

Another displayed a furious scene, her parents fighting and screaming. Again she held back her tears at the thought of going home. Of walking into a building whose soul was gone. Now instead of a bright and happy family, it shelters a group of lonely individuals. All the love it once held gone, for only hate to remain.

A cross was drawn to represent a hospital, to complete her horrors. The monthly visits, the daily tablets, it would never stop. It was the reason she was fat, the reason her school life would never get better. At least as she got older, she would leave school, leave her house, but this was tied to her forever.

Towards the side, a drawing of a boy holding the girl, protecting her seemed to be highlighted. Wyatt. She knew it was unachievable, she knew that there simply no way. Yet despite the darkest of times, hope clung to her, digging its claws deep into her skin.

Realizing what she had drawn, she crossed it out, making sure no trace of it remained. She couldn't bear seeing all her fears, her pain at once. Her sanity string has started to weaken, while the string of hope seemed to hold on strong.