Just One Kiss

ARYA'S POV The after-party was in full swing, there was music and food and lots of laughter. I tried to enjoy it but everywhere I turned, people looked at me with that same expression of pity mixed with uncertainty. Like they didn't know whether to acknowledge what had happened to me or pretend it never did. "Arya! Oh my God, it's been so long!" I turned to find Sophia Moretti, someone I knew vaguely before everything happened. "Sophia, hi. How have you been?" "Good, good. You know, just-" She laughed nervously. "I heard about what happened. That must have been so... difficult." I smiled tightly. "It was." An uncomfortable silence fell. She glanced away, then back at me. “Well, you look great. Really great. I mean, everything considered…" She stopped, blushing. "Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound-" I waved her dismissively. "It's fine." But it wasn't fine. This happened with everyone I spoke to. The same underlying pity and discomfort. After the fifth such conversation, I felt exhaus