Lexi did not have many friends. On the weekends she watched her classmates hang out and throw parties through her phone screen. During the summer she walked out onto the dock and laid there reading as the sun set into her skin. When she came back inside, the sun had set and the town was alive. From her balcony, she could close her eyes and hear the excited shrieks of stupid teens running through the woods at night. She could smell the smoke from bonfires around the lake. Lives were being well lived, and she observed it from her balcony. Lexi did not feel shorted by her situation, all she needed was a good book and a sunny day to be content. However, Lexi was not just smart, she was beautiful. Not in a prom-dress-princess way, but in a genuine-smile-gorgeous way. And even though Lexi was fine where she was on the social food chain, there were always others who insisted on trying to get Lexi into their friend group. She never cared for their offers, and always politely declined invites to parties and social gatherings in general. Lexi was not immune to the powers of teenage boys, however, and when the cute guy named Tucker who sits next to her in art asked her to homecoming, she could not resist. “DAD, WHERE IS MY RED SCARF?” Lexi’s voice reverberated through her house, and ducks could be seen fluttering away from the noise. Lexi quickly discovered the scarf under her bed and twisted it through her arms. Equipped with a little black dress, her slightly dusty scarf, and a book tucked in her clutch purse, Lexi swung open the door and an audible gasp left her lips and her eyes lit up like a million chandeliers at once. Tucker held out a corsage hand-made of paper-mache. “Paper-mache, your favorite art style,” Tucker said with a smirk. Lexi’s cheeks matched the color of the fake roses. After arriving at the school, they meandered through the party before finding their way to the punch bowl. Tucker poured them both drinks as Lexi took in the scene before her. Powdered highlighter reflected off of the disco ball hanging from the ceiling as the couples spun and Lexi could finally see all of the laughter she had heard from her balcony all those years. This is what she had missed, and it was perfected by the presence of Tucker next to her. As she lifted the cup of punch to her lips, it was knocked out of her hands by a nearby girl. Lexi could feel the punch drip down the front of her dress as she spun to face the girl. She recognized her, Maya from her math class. “I’m so sorry Lexi, but I couldn’t just let you drink it.” Maya fumbled over her words. “But I saw him put something in your drink!” She pointed her accusing finger at Tucker. “She’s lying, I would never!” Tucker seemed nervous, people started looking at the scene. The chandeliers in Lexi’s eyes were blown out faster than birthday candles. Suddenly everyone on the dance floor was spinning too fast, and the disco ball was too bright. The pounding in her heart sunk down low into her stomach as she stared at Maya. “I promise… I wouldn’t lie about this,” Maya’s words were barely audible. Lexi nodded too fast, holding in tears begging to come out. She felt betrayed, and the eyes on her became too much for her to take. Grabbing her clutch from the table, Lexi quickly thanked Maya and fled. After making it half a mile out of school, Lexi fell to the ground in the same forest that she could see from her balcony. Instead of laughter or screams, all Lexi could do was cry. First one tear, then two, then full sobs racked her body. The mascara that she had bought just for tonight ran down her face and mixed with the soil below her. Lexi cried for a long time, and once she mustered the strength to rise, she made her way home and crept into her room, shutting the door as quietly as she could. She did not bother wiping off her mascara before falling asleep. The next morning at school, Lexi found that she had a lot of new friends.