Hard Candy

Hiding behind her strength, only a few know, because after the sharp spike downwards, or outwards, you pass through the shell, the spikes, the smooth coating. And outside's where she smiles at him, and them too, and walks on. And outside's where she can throw snow at him, and she can still laugh and play and she can still look him in the eyes. And outside she's "totally over it". The spikes with the smooth coating, cool, composed, she's even popular with the people on those layers. She's outgoing for the first time, and she likes it. But at the same time when she's throwing snow and chasing him inside she remembers it all when it meant something different, and she gets that echo-ey feeling she hates, because the old songs are still echoing away in the empty place they left behind, and each echo beats down on the inner layer, wearing down the gap between inside and outside.  And she's afraid somethings going to crack her open again, because the layers are much thinner now, even if they're stronger, and everyone will be shocked at the soft gooey center that's going to come oozing out most unpleasantly.