Standing in front of our high school, I found myself being yelled at.

"Em! God, you're not allowed to wear sandals today!" A girl ran up to me with an upset look on her face.

It was Rosalind, my best friend.

"I'm wearing sandals? I must've put them on by mistake. That's keen of you to notice," I said, accidentally pulling my baggy shorts a little too high to check.

"Ohmygod, don't do that! Are you wearing boxers again?! I can see them! Don't pull your shorts so high!"

I don't quite understand it, but it was funny watching her shriek over things that nobody noticed.

"Okay, okay, quit freaking-" My voice was interrupted by a young man's.

"Hey Tay, don't you have Gym today?" Donovan asked politely, causing Rosalind's face to blush.

I looked back at her, my nervous little buddy who seemed to be having trouble conjuring words. Chuckling, I told him that I didn't mind losing the marks and sitting out of Gym. Our conversation continued for the next few minutes until the bell rang, and I started dragging Rosalind down the hallway.

"Oh, you guys?" He called after us with a wide grin.

I kept nudging the now-mute girl, until she managed to stutter out a "Y-y-y-yes?".

"Next time, lay off the underwear talk, it's torture to us guys," he said with a wink.

I rolled my eyes, and continued walking as I heard the second bell ring. Almost at class, I realized I was walking alone. Damn it, she was upset from that. How didn't I notice?

Going through empty classrooms, I found her sitting on the ledge of a window; crying into her hands. I took a few steps into the room, when I heard her mumble "I wish I could just die right now".

"You really shouldn't say that so lightly, hon," I said softly; pulling her hands away, and hugging her tightly.

"But I didn't comb my hair... I wasn't wearing the dress... I'm wearing a bad shade of lipstick..." She went on explaining what she thought was her 'flaws'; everything he wouldn't like.

'Why can't you just love yourself? I love you for yourself...'

After a little while, I interrupted her by placing my thumb on her mouth.

I bent down, looked straight into her eyes and said, "Don't. You're fine the way you are, love."

After a minute or two of silence, she shoved my hand away.

"Why do you have to keep doing weird things like that, Em? Jeez," she said loudly, then proceeded to walk out of the room.

I skipped the rest of the school day, and sat in that room quietly until I heard the last bell go.

After school, we met, and as usual, I walked her home. It was a silent walk, and after a while I heard her mumble something.

"Sorry, come again?" I stopped walking, and looked forward at her.

"I wear lipstick, I put on lacy bras, I buy beautiful dresses... It's like my armor... It's stupid, isn't it? I wish I could be like you," Rosalind was talking in a voice almost like a whisper.

Walking over to hug her, I unhooked her bra and heard her scream.

"EM, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"There, I took off some of your armor, feel lighter yet?" I said, giggling.

"Heavier..." She said, confused.

"That's cause you have a big chest."

"Jeez, you really don't understand. You don't even like someone, do you?" Rosalind wasn't angry or sad anymore, just playing around now.

"Nope," I lied, smiling.
'Being casual, just being there for you, that's my armor.'