Little Inklings 2025

“Maybe they’re right,” she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection. “Maybe I don’t belong here unless I change.” She spent the next hour trying to flatten the curls in her hair, layering on makeup to hide her freckles, trying on clothes she never felt comfortable in. But the whole time, she felt an odd emptiness, a sense of being someone else, someone she wasn’t. When she walked into school the next day, she barely recognized herself. Her friends noticed right away. “Whoa, Ana, you look... different,” Emily said with a grin. “You look amazing! See? I told you, you just needed a little change.” Ana smiled back, but it didn’t reach her eyes. For the first time, she felt like an imposter in her own skin. That afternoon, she found herself at home, looking at her reflection again, this time with clearer eyes. She slowly took off the makeup, pulled her hair into its usual messy ponytail, and slipped back into her favorite sweater. The next morning, she walked into school with her curls bouncing and her mismatched socks peeking out from under her jeans. She saw Emily and her friends staring, but this time, Ana didn’t feel the weight of their judgments. And for the first time in a long while, she felt free. 15