And it was always the same searing pain
Pairing: Mariam x Female!Reader
this takes place after Layans death
You were new to the school and hadn't known about any of this. You walked through the school trying to find your classroom. Mariam was walking as she saw you walking around the halls. She knew you were a new student because she knew everyone in this school,she walked up towards you.
"Yes,I am. It pretty obvious,huh"
"Yeah, what's your name?" She said still looking at you
"I'm Mariam, what class are you in?"
"Lucky for you my class is 2-A meaning you're in my class" She said grabbing your arm,she led you to the classroom. As you walked the halls,students went silent and started whispering instead as they got out of her way. She continued walking through the halls as she held your arm and so she kept leading you to the classroom. You listened to what they were saying.
"Oh great here she comes"
"She's so scary"
"Is that a new student with her?" Those were some of the whispers you heard as she dragged you through the halls. The whispers continued.
"Who is that new girl"
"Why is she with that murderous girl"
"Is she nuts for willingly hanging out with her?" Those whispers continued as she was still walking with you towards the classroom. You were confused but figured it's better not to ask now. She looked at you and noticed that you were confused, she sighed.
"Hey don't listen to that nonsense, it'll be explained later" She said, still holding your arm. You reached the classroom and walked in,sitting down next to each other. When they saw you and then they looked at her and began whispering.
"She's sitting next to her"
"Damn, she's brave to sit next to that psycho" The girls in the class continued whispering as they looked at you. You were so confused,but you quickly introduced yourself before sitting down again.The girls in class looked at each other and were speechless after your introduction. The teacher smiled.
"Okay class settle down" Everyone went silent as the teacher began talking about the lesson
After class the second Ms.abeer left and started whispering again. Mariam sighed as she looked at them as the whispers immediately began
"Why are you sitting next to her, she's gonna kill you"
"Be careful, I mean that psycho might hurt you"
"Why willingly are you sitting next to the murderer?" The girls continued whispering as they looked at you. You went through the rest of the school day,still hearing the whispers. You needed to know what had happened. After the school day was over it was the end of the day as Mariam was walking out of the school and so she looked at you.
"Hey I know you're probably confused and I know everyone has been non stop whispering about this but I'll explain everything back at my house okay?" She said looking at you. You soon arrived at her house,her mom calling to her as soon as she walked in. Mariam looked at her mom and then back at you.
"Hey mom, I brought a guest over. I hope you don't mind" She said as she took off her shoes and so her mom looked at her and back at you. You took off your shoes before looking up at her
"Hello,I'm Y/N. I'm the new girl,my family just moved here" Her mom smiled as she looked at you
"Nice to me you Y/N, I'm Mariam's mother"
She said as she smiled while Mariam sat on the couch and so she looked at her and back at you. "Please come in and make yourself at home" She asked about you and the only thing you could think to say was.
"There isn't much honestly,my mother just wanted me to go to the same school she did. I like painting,it my favorite thing in the world"
"Oh that's wonderful, you do know that the school hosts an annual art competition on the 24th of March, have you heard about it?"
"No,I haven't heard. But I'll make sure to participate" A few minutes later Mariam took you to her room.
"You ready to hear what happened?" She said as she sat down on her bed.
"Alright I'll try to sum it up, so basically a few months ago four girls were tormenting me, they bullied me, abused me and humiliated me and everyone at this school knew about it"
Mariam said as she began explaining the start of the story to you. "One of the girls was Layan, she was the leader of this whole torment, she basically made everyone at this school bully me so no one dare tried to be my friend but then I got fed up and made a plan to make her regret everything" She explained that she revealed where Layan was going to her brother,who eventually killed her.
"And so that's what happened, I guess you figured out why every student in the school is horrified of me now" She said looking at you after she finished explaining everything to you.
"Regrets, I don't think I'll ever regret it, Layan put me through hell and the world is a better place without her" You just nodded,she was clearly still upset. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me no one understands the pain that I have gone through, I was treated the worst by Layan and yet everyone is scared of me"
"Did you ever talk to anyone about what was happening?"
"Of course I've tried many times to get teachers to help me, but they wouldn't believe me, they thought I was a liar and they trusted Layan and her friends more then me"
"Of course they did," you sighed.
"And the worst part about all of this is that they continue to treat Layan as the victim and say she died an unfair death after all she did. I don't get how no one notices the damage she caused in every student at this goddamn school" She said as she was getting a little frustrated as she vented about the truth to you.
"I appreciate that you actually believe me and understand my perspective, no one at the school believes me not even my own parents" She said as she looked down at the floor avoiding looking at you.
"Well,I believe you" She stayed silent after you said that and she was a little flustered, no one ever believed her before but now you did, no one even cared enough to speak to her but now you are having a civil conversation with her.
"Do you think I'm a monster?" She said suddenly looking at you.
"I think you were in pain and were pushed so far that you snapped"
"I guess that's a good way to put it, I'm tired of this school treating Layan as an innocent saint when she was the one terrorizing everyone, how could people be so blind about this..."
Mariam said as she was getting a little frustrated again as she talked about Layan.
"That happens all the time,when someone dies no one want to be the person who says how horrible they actually were"
"I know that, but it's even worse in this case, since Layan had a reputation at this school and everyone believed her no matter how messed up she was" Mariam said as she continued looking down at the floor and so for a moment she was completely silent and so suddenly she spoke again
"I'm a little thirsty so I'm going to go grab a drink, do you want anything?"
"Alright" She said as she got up and quickly walked out the room and left you alone in her bedroom and so you took some time to look around the room to look at the stuff she has in her room. The room was decorated with a few paintings that you assumed she made herself, you continued looking about her room as you saw the bookshelf in front of you, you wondered what type of books she read so you walked over to the bookshelf to take a look at the book collection she owned. You saw a photo on the desk of her and two other girls,one with Black medium length hair and another with long brown hair which was tied into two pigtails. You took your eye off the bookshelf and looked at the photo intrigued as you picked it up and looked at it, you saw Mariam in the middle as her hair was tied up into a bun, behind her was a girl with dark black medium hair and another girl behind her had shoulder-length brown hair that was tied into pigtails with a pink bow on each side, they seemed close in the photo so you wondered who the other two girl were in the photo. You had seen these girls before,briefly at school. You continued looking at the photo of them, for a moment you could practically sense the bond they had from how you saw them looking so happy in the photo, after a while of taking the photo out you put it back and went back to skimming through the bookshelf. Not finding anything else,Mariam walked in before you could look around some more.
The next day at school You needed to find out more about Layan. After the class was over as usual the girls started whispering as soon as class was over, the school was packed with students so you couldn't find anyone to ask. You continued wandering around the halls until suddenly you spotted a girl with black medium length hair sitting on a bench by herself, you walked up to her.
"Hey, mind if I talk to you for a moment?" You said as you looked at her,you recognized her from the photo. She looked up at you, seeming somewhat wary, then she sighed
"Yeah, what do you want?"
"You were friends with Mariam,right?" The girl's expression darkened slightly upon hearing that question, and for a moment, she hesitated before speaking
"Yes, we were friends, why do you ask?" She said as she looked at you, seeming increasingly suspicious of your intentions.
"What was she like before Layan?" The girl seemed confused but she sighed before speaking
"Before Layan, she was a very different person, happy, kind, and full of hope. But after Layan's torment, something changed in her, it was like she became a different person, bitter, angry, and vengeful" She said looking at you, the expression on her face seemed pained
"Thank you for telling me" You made your way to the library and looked through Mariam's Instagram to her old photos and started sketching. Your sketches become a blend of her past and present appearance, capturing both the joy and anguish she experienced. You submitted your name to the competition and need to finish the painting in three days. The painting ended up being one half her face smiling and full of joy. The second half was her pain,her face covered in bruises and blood.
You finally finished the painting, blending the contrast of Mariam's past and present facial expression effortlessly. Half of her face depicted her former joy, while the other displayed her present anguish. It perfectly captured the stark change in her demeanor, showcasing both her bright smile and the suffering she endured. You took a step back and observed the painting, feeling a wave of accomplishment wash over you.
The day of the competition had finally arrived. Students filled the hall, each clutching a masterpiece they had passionately crafted. You anxiously made your way to the competition area, your painting clenched tightly in your hands. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and nervosity, everyone eager to display their creations and seek recognition. It was finally your turn. After the first few students had presented their pieces, it was finally your time to showcase your painting. With a mix of excitement and anxiety, you approached the front, holding your painting in your trembling hands. The room seemed to fall silent as all eyes turned towards you, awaiting the unveiling of your masterpiece. After a moment of suspense, you presented your painting to the audience. The room was filled with gasps and murmurs as they took in the duality you had captured in your artwork. The joyous half of Mariam's face contrasted starkly with the bruised and battered side, evoking a visceral reaction from the onlookers. The atmosphere in the room shifted, as a mix of surprise and admiration filled the air. You stood there, heart pounding as you awaited the judges' decision. The room was filled with a hushed anticipation as the judges examined your work closely, each passing moment feeling like an hour. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the head judge spoke
"This piece truly captures the profound transformation of the subject. The duality of emotion and the skill with which the artist has portrayed it, is something that we feel is a true work of art" She nodded at you as you looked at him, feeling relieved and elated that the judges saw the emotion in your work.
"And the winner of this year's art competition is...Y/N!" The head judge declared, a chorus of applause erupted throughout the hall as the audience clapped eagerly, recognizing the skill and depth behind your masterpiece. A wave of emotion washed over you, a mixture of pride and relief as you clutched the trophy, a symbol of your triumph in capturing Mariam's profound transformation.
"This painting is a powerful and thought-provoking creation. Your use of contrast between the past and present state of the subject is not only visually striking but emotionally impactful. It effectively conveys the depths of human suffering and perseverance. Congratulations, you have truly pushed the boundaries of artistic expression and your painting stands out as a masterful representation of the competition's theme"
