More About Elsa Williams:
People always say that there is no such thing as losing your spark. Elsa, on the other hand, strongly believed that nothing in this world could ever make her lose hers. At least, that's what she thought—until she entered senior year in high school. Then she started to wonder if perhaps there really was such a thing as losing your spark.
The 18-year-old Elsa everyone knew was cheerful, outspoken, and bold. She was everywhere. At school, she was nicknamed "The Show Queen," a title she earned after a particular incident during her senior year.
Her best friend, Mira Ray, had been almost sexually harassed by one of their classmates. Although Mira didn't want to tell Elsa—knowing exactly how she would react—Elsa found out one way or another.
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It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Mira hadn't come to school. Elsa tried calling her and sent her countless text messages, but received no reply. Worried, Elsa decided to visit her house.
When she got there, Mira's mom told her Mira had already left for school that morning and wasn't at home. Not wanting to worry her, Elsa reassured her that Mira was probably still at school handling some things.
But Elsa was terrified. She searched all the usual places they frequented together, but Mira was nowhere to be found. She didn't return to school that day; her only priority was finding Mira. The last place she could think of was a secluded playground they often used to ditch classes.
Exhausted, Elsa sighed heavily as she sat on a bench in the playground.
"Girl, where the hell are you?" she muttered in a worried tone.
After a moment of silence, she heard faint sobs coming from a distance. She was the only one there, so she grew curious. Rising slowly, she searched the area. Finally, she saw Mira curled up beside a slide, her head buried in her lap, quietly sobbing.
Elsa's eyes widened in shock.
"Mira?" she called softly.
Mira slowly raised her head. Her face was red and swollen from crying.
"Elsa..." she whimpered before breaking down into louder sobs.
Elsa rushed to her and wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"Shh... I'm here, okay? I'm here. It's okay," she whispered, patting her back gently.
Elsa didn't know what was going on, but she knew something was terribly wrong. Mira had hidden her tears before, but this time was different. Elsa could see and feel the pain in her eyes. Tears welled up in Elsa's own eyes as she held her and cried too.
After a while, they sat on a bench, silently recovering.
"Girl, what's going on? You scared me. Your mom's probably worried by now," Elsa said quietly, holding Mira's hand.
Mira looked away and sighed shakily.
"Look at me," Elsa said, gently turning Mira's face to meet her eyes. "You know you can always talk to me. I'm always here for you. Lately, you've been distant. You no longer sleep over at my place, and today you skipped class. Now I find you here crying. I'm losing my mind, Mira. Please tell me what's wrong."
Mira sniffled, wiped her tears, and forced a smile. "Chill, girl. It's not that bad. I'm fine, okay? It's just my period messing with my mood. I just didn't feel like going to class today."
Mira was the kind of person who didn't like burdening others—especially Elsa—with her problems. She definitely wasn't going to reveal the real reason for her disappearance.
"Mira!" Elsa snapped, losing her patience. She took deep breaths to calm herself. "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you? Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I can't tell something's wrong? Do you know how it feels to watch the person you love most in this world suffer silently?!"
Mira sighed again and looked at her. "I'm really fine. Believe me. I'm not hiding anything. I promise."
Elsa wasn't convinced, but she also knew Mira wasn't going to open up. So, she nodded after a moment. "Okay, if you say so."
But Elsa wasn't going to let it go. She made up her mind to find out what was really going on—one way or another.
Later that weekend, Elsa went to Mira's house for a sleepover, as usual. Though she hadn't forgotten the incident, she played along, pretending everything was fine. But in her mind, she was determined to uncover the truth.
They baked, gossiped, and did all the fun things they normally enjoyed.
That night, while Mira was taking a shower, Elsa was in the room trying to draft a new reading timetable for the both of them. Her pen ran out of ink. Frustrated, she looked around for another and spotted one sitting on top of a red book. As she reached for it, she realized it was Mira's diary.
Elsa knew it was wrong, but it felt like the only way to understand what was going on. Hesitantly, she opened to the last page, promising herself she would read only that one entry.
Her heart sank.
"What?! Mira is being sexually harassed by Mathew?" Elsa gasped.
Mathew had been assigned to assist Mira in her duties as class president. Furious, Elsa quickly returned the diary to its place and sat back on the bed just before Mira came out of the bathroom.
She couldn't sleep that night. The thought of someone hurting Mira boiled her blood. If she saw Mathew, she could've broken his neck. As Mira slept soundly beside her, Elsa looked at her and couldn't hold back her tears. She fell asleep with one goal: to expose and humiliate Mathew.
The next day, she didn't mention anything to Mira. She waited for the right moment. When classes resumed, students were required to submit their phones to the class president—Mira. Elsa used this opportunity to secretly take Mathew's phone.
In a secluded area, she checked his gallery—and what she found left her stunned. Numerous nude pictures of girls from their school.
She first reported the phone to their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Tara Dean. Then she headed to class, ready to expose Mathew publicly.
She stormed into the classroom, where Mathew was chatting with his friends, and slapped him across the face.
Gasps echoed around the room. Mira, who was already in the class, rushed over.
"Hey… what's going on?" she asked, holding Elsa's arm.
Elsa yanked her arm away and turned to Mathew.
"Are you crazy?! Why would you do that?" Mathew shouted, rubbing his cheek.
Elsa scoffed. "Am I crazy? No, you're the crazy one. How could you record us while being intimate, you pervert?!"
The class erupted in shock.
"What are you talking about?! I've never even had a conversation with you, let alone slept with you!" Mathew protested.
Elsa was pretending to be a victim to protect Mira's identity. She didn't want anyone to know Mira was one of his victims.
Mira stood silent, realizing Elsa had found out. She knew trying to stop her would only escalate things.
As the argument heated up, Mrs. Tara Dean stormed into the room.
"Mathew! Report to the principal's office—now!" she barked.
Mathew followed her out, and Elsa ran a hand through her hair in frustration as whispers filled the classroom.
Mira gently tapped her shoulder.
"I... I swear I was going to tell you, but—"
Before she could finish, Elsa turned and hugged her tightly.
"It's okay, Mirabel. I understand. It's over now," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Mira smiled softly and hugged her back.
Mathew was later expelled and permanently removed from the school.
That was the day Elsa earned the title "Show Queen" and became even more popular.
Elsa and Mira had known each other forever. Their mothers were best friends before they were even born. Born on the same day, they were practically sisters. Both were only children—Mira from a wealthy background and Elsa from an average one. Their mothers' friendship had bonded them for life, and the girls' love for each other was unbreakable. They would've let the world burn for one another.
But sometimes, things begin to go wrong when everything seems perfect.
That bond would soon be tested—and broken—by an awful incident that occurred shortly before their graduation.
And even till this day, Elsa remains trapped in that painful memory of the past.
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