"Oh no," I whispered to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot from crying last night and my face was all bloated. My dark hair was all stringy and oily. I looked terrible.

"Mom?" I walked into the kitchen where my mom was making breakfast. 

"Mari? Mari! What happened? You look terrible!" 

"I don't feel good today. I think I might be sick. Can I not go to school today?" I knew what I needed to tell Johnny. I felt awful about it. Maybe thinking about it for a day would relieve my problems.

Mom put her hand on my forehead, checking my temperature. "You feel normal. You're not sick, you just look sick. It's okay, it happens to all of us. You'll be fine. Go to school. You know, you can get scholarships for having perfect attendance throughout the four years of high school."

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