The True of Me - Chapter 6
Light in the Shadows
The morning sunlight streamed through Ella’s bedroom window, filtering through her sheer black curtains. She sat cross-legged on her bed, her journal open on her lap.
She read through her most recent entries, the words flowing like a map of her transformation. The first pages were filled with uncertainty and pain, but as the entries went on, the tone shifted. The doubt gave way to resilience. The fear gave way to strength.
Ella smiled as she penned a final thought:
I used to cry because I wasn’t myself. Then I cried because being myself was hard. Now, I don’t cry at all. I’ve found peace in being me.
She closed the journal, running her fingers over its battered cover. It had been her lifeline, her confidant through the hardest days.
When Ella got to school, she didn’t brace herself for whispers or stares. They still happened sometimes, but they didn’t carry the same weight.
As she walked down the hallway, Mia fell into step beside her. “Ready for art club after school?”
Ella nodded, her smile genuine. “Always.”
They passed Tara and her group near the lockers. Tara caught Ella’s eye and offered a tentative smile. Ella nodded politely but kept walking.
“Do you think they’ll ever stop?” Mia asked, glancing back at the girls.
Ella shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Mia grinned. “You’re kind of a badass, you know that?”
Ella laughed, the sound unguarded and real.
During lunch, Ella sat with Mia and a small group of students who had slowly become her new circle. They were a mix of quiet artists, bookworms, and free spirits. It wasn’t the loud, glittering crowd she used to sit with, but it felt right.
As they talked, Ella noticed a girl sitting alone at a nearby table, her head bent low over a notebook. Her clothes were muted, her posture guarded. Something about her reminded Ella of herself—not the girl she had pretended to be, but the one she had been before she found the courage to embrace her darkness and step into the light.
Ella excused herself and walked over.
“Hey,” she said, sliding into the seat across from the girl.
The girl looked up, startled. “Hi?”
“I’m Ella,” she said, smiling warmly. “What are you working on?”
The girl hesitated before flipping the notebook closed. “Just some doodles.”
“Can I see?” Ella asked gently.
The girl’s eyes widened slightly, but after a moment, she opened the notebook again. Inside were sketches of fantastical creatures—dragons, fairies, wolves with glowing eyes.
“These are amazing,” Ella said sincerely. “You should come to art club sometime. We’d love to have you.”
The girl blinked, her lips twitching into a small smile. “Maybe.”
Ella nodded. “No pressure. But it’s fun, and there’s always snacks.”
The girl laughed softly, and for the first time in a long while, Ella saw a spark in someone else’s eyes that mirrored the one she had found in herself.
That night, Ella sat by her window, staring out at the moonlit street. She thought about how far she’d come—from hiding in bathroom stalls to standing tall in who she was.
She had lost the old Ella, but she had gained someone so much better: herself.
The thought filled her with a quiet sense of pride. She wasn’t afraid of being the black sheep anymore. In fact, she welcomed it.
After all, black wasn’t just the colour of shadows. It was the colour of strength, of depth, of infinite possibilities.