Mina had been grappling with her self-image for as long as she could remember. She often found herself feeling like an outsider in her class, envious of the other girls who seemed so confident and self-assured. Whenever she saw them laughing and joking together, she couldn’t help but feel like she was on the outside looking in.

Mina’s insecurities were most palpable when it came to her body. She had always felt like her curves and softness were a mark against her, something to be ashamed of rather than celebrated. She often found herself comparing herself to the other girls in her class, scrutinizing their figures and feeling a sense of despair when she saw how different she was from them.

But moving to a new town had made things even harder for her. She didn’t know anyone here, didn’t have any friends to rely on. Her parents had tried to reassure her that she would make new friends in no time, but Mina wasn’t so sure. What if she didn’t fit in? What if the other kids didn’t like her?

As she walked to school, Mina tried to keep her anxiety at bay by focusing on the mundane details of her surroundings. The sky was overcast, with a hint of rain in the air. The trees lining the street were just starting to bud, their bare branches reaching towards the gray sky. Mina liked the quiet of the morning, the stillness of the world before it woke up.

But as soon as she entered the school building, her nerves started to get the best of her. The hallways were crowded with students rushing to their classes, their voices echoing off the walls. Mina felt lost in the chaos, like a small fish in a big pond.

She tried to follow the signs pointing to her classroom, but they seemed to be leading her in circles. Mina felt her heart racing as she realized she was going to be late on her first day. She clutched her backpack tightly, hoping it would somehow protect her from the judgment of her new classmates.

When she finally found her classroom, Mina hesitated before entering. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, hoping to blend in with the other students. But as she walked to her seat, she felt the eyes of the other kids on her. They whispered to each other, their gazes flickering over her baggy clothes and shy demeanor.

Mina tried to ignore them, to focus on the teacher’s instructions, but her mind kept drifting to thoughts of what they were saying about her. Were they making fun of her already? Did they think she was weird?

When the bell rang for the first period to end, Mina packed up her things and prepared to head to her next class. She felt like a small victory when no one had said anything to her or mocked her.

But as she made her way down the stairs to her next class, her shyness took over and her insecurities reached a fever pitch. The nagging feeling that everyone was watching her, judging her, became too much to bear, and she lost her balance, her backpack getting caught on the handrail, causing her to twist awkwardly and making it difficult for her to regain her balance.