The day after I found The Paper (yes, it deserves capital letters), I came to school like a soldier on a secret mission.
On the outside: calm. Composed. Chill.
On the inside: A SCREAMING SIREN OF CHAOS.
I had shoved the crumpled result sheet deep into my bag like it was cursed treasure. The real competition results. “The ones that didn’t match the glittery school posters showing Daisy’s name in all caps and sparkle font.”
And now here I was. In biology class. Supposed to learn about photosynthesis.
But how was I supposed to concentrate when my brain was running full speed like:
"CONSPIRACY ALERT! WE HAVE A CASE, MA’AM. I REPEAT. A FULL-BLOWN CASE."
Miss Shalini was at the front, passionately talking about how chlorophyll traps sunlight, and I was sitting there like a stunned goat. Blinking. Breathing. Existing. Barely.
“…but to me, it sounded like: blah blah plant drama blah.”
But in my mind?
A different Ava had taken over.
The classroom melted away. Reality faded like a badly erased blackboard.
And there I was.
"Detective Ava. Hmm… yeah, that’s right — Detective Ava. Any doubts? Nope, didn’t think so. Moving on…"
Hair wind-blown (by an invisible fan, obviously), trench coat swirling (okay, it was my school sweater, but I imagined it flapping like I was in a Mission Impossible ), and dark sunglasses ON… because I’m too cool to care about indoor lighting.( "Yeah, they weren’t sunglasses, they were just my spectacles — but whatever!")
My regular school hallway? Gone.Replaced by a crime scene so dramatic even Netflix would hesitate to produce or film it . Footsteps echoing. Dramatic violins playing in the background like I was the emotional lead in a Korean drama and a detective anime.
Suddenly, Daisy’s poster on the notice board peeled itself off… in slow motion… fluttered through the air like a guilty secret... and landed perfectly at my feet.
I crouched down in slow motion, picked it up, and whispered:
“The truth is trying to tell me something…”
Then I stood dramatically, pointing into the distance.
“Lies have short legs… and suspicious posters!”
SNAP.
I broke my pencil. In half. Just like my brain.
The entire class turned to stare.
I gave them my best confused smile, like “Haha, whoops! I’m fine!” even though I was two seconds away from screaming into a pillow.
Miss Shalini looked directly at me. “Ava… are you okay?”
“Totally!” I chirped. “Just… photosynthesis is very… emotional.”
She stared. I stared back. A single bead of sweat rolled down my temple like I was in a courtroom being cross-examined for murder.
I quickly picked up my broken pencil like it was my dignity and sank lower in my chair.
Back to the Mind Movie: The Debate Begins
My brain was now two people arguing inside me.
Brain Detective: “We need to investigate. This is the truth. The Real Deal. Ava, it’s time.”
YOU ARE READING
When Dreams Start To Fade
RandomAva always thought life would feel like a drama-magical and perfect. But as she faces fake friends, class pressure, and quiet heartbreaks, she begins to see the truth. This is a story about growing up, letting go of fantasies, and learning that real...
