She wakes up before the sun rises,
because she gets ready before the bus.
She sits in silence in a seat all her own
leaning against the window.

She sits quietly in the back
Hearing every word that is spoken.
She looks closely at her reflection in the window
And sees her own worst enemy.

She walks in the hallway, her head hung low
living in a world separate from those around her.
She takes notes in the classroom,
Out of fear of losing the information quickly.

She’s the “star student”,
Who secretly resents her idolism because she isn’t proud.
She studies alone in her room,
Desperately longing for a change in routine.

She writes neatly and elegantly,
for school expects no less.
She appears quiet and intelligent,
only to hide the fears that consume her.

She listens vaguely in English,
Silencing her thoughts with those of others.
She is expected to have life figured out
But she wants to go home where she screams out loud.

She comes home late at night
when the sky  has transitioned from blue to black.
And she weeps all night long,
because she knows there’s tomorrow too.