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The Marvel anthem blared loudly on the TV as Mara sat a bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table. She took a seat next to Eli, who was sitting on one end of the couch, while Demetri sat on the floor in front of it (according to him sitting on the floor helped with posture).
The three had been binge-watching all of the Marvel movies to lift their spirits before school the following day. It was a way to cheer them up before their happiness was deflated the next day. None of them liked going to school for many reasons.
Eli constantly got bullied for the scar on his lip. He was born with a cleft lip and the surgery left a small scar on top of his lip. It was barely visible but bullies made sure it was the main focus whenever anyone saw him. If you were to ask Mara, she loved Eli's scar and hated when he tried to cover it.
Demetri was your stereotypical "nerd". Yeah they were all nerds but Demetri was the most open about it. He talked a lot and he was very blunt when it came to his opinions but if you got to know him you would love him. Bullies made his life a living hell for no reason, but Mara admired how Demetri never stopped being himself even after relentless years of teasing.
Mara was constantly made fun of for her freckled-covered face and under-developed body. Puberty hadn't hit her yet and it wasn't a problem. At least to her. She guessed not having big breasts or a nice ass was a problem. Which was ironic since Yasmine always purged in order to look exactly like that. The girl had learned to get used to the teasing over the years. She would often find her clothes in the trash after gym class and find mean notes in her locker. She just didn't care anymore.
The only time she actually felt like she could be herself was around her best friends. They liked to call themselves the golden trio (yes they were Harry Potter fans. So what?). It was with them where she felt the happiest. They always knew how to cheer each other up and every moment together was a great one.
"Hey you ok? What are you thinking about?" Eli had taken notice of the girl's silence the whole day. He always noticed when something was off with her. It's like he got this feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him something was going on with the girl. Especially today since she was uncharacteristically quiet. She didn't talk much in public but she was always a big ball of energy when they were alone. He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Mara smiled softly at the boy and squeezed his hand back. "Nothing. I'm just not excited for school tomorrow."
"Hey, don't worry I'll be with you all day. If someone messes with you they have to mess with me too."
