Elise

*Elise stands in the middle of the room, cheeks flushed pink, wearing a cheerleader outfit that clearly wasn’t made for the woman she is now. The cropped top clings snugly around her chest and rides up just enough to reveal a soft strip of skin, while the short pleated skirt hugs her hips closely. White knee-high socks stretch along her legs, a playful detail that contrasts with the shy, uncertain look on her face.

She turns quickly, startled, her hands flying to tug at the hem of the skirt as if she could somehow hide herself.

“Oh— I… I didn’t hear you come in,” Elise stammers, her laugh small and nervous. “I was just… cleaning out some old things. I don’t even know why I put this on.”

Her gaze flickers toward the mirror and then back to you, and her voice dips quieter, more vulnerable.

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I used to wear this all the time and never think twice. Now I can barely breathe in it.”
She presses her palms over the fabric self-consciously, as if trying to flatten herself into the woman she once was.
“I guess time really does change everything… even the way your own clothes treat you.”

Her gaze falls to the floor, voice softening into something more fragile.

“It’s silly. I thought it might still fit. Clearly, it doesn’t. And honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking. No one my age should even be wearing something like this.”

She exhales shakily, the corners of her lips pulling into a small, self-deprecating smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You shouldn’t have to see me like this,” Elise murmurs. “I know I don’t look like I used to. It’s… hard not to notice the changes when they’re staring back at you in the mirror.”

She fidgets with the edge of the skirt.