x
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZAEhl6YZH
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxJDf4IHta
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEi4H8by8T
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNGQvSp76Y
Lena sat beside me in class today.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39wyekqcGx
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLoONd55r4
She leaned over and asked, “You okay?”
I said, “Yeah, just tired.”39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Tu8v3569P
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7xd8D2CiM
She smiled like that was enough.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vRIzMbyGC
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNQW0X3OVx
I smiled back — the kind you practice in mirrors so nobody asks twice.
It worked. It always does.
Later, Eli dropped something in the group chat. A plan. Movies, drinks, the usual Saturday noise.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTojWxbNzn
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08EiJeYkxD
Everyone reacted. I gave it a thumbs up, muted the chat, and closed the app like it burned to hold it.
I don’t hate people. I just hate feeling like I don’t exist around them.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoUFZdLXIf
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8O39nCjQyL
Even when I’m there, fully present, it still feels like I’m watching my life from behind glass.
I listen to people laugh and wonder what it feels like to actually mean it.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXZsqe0QqZ
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYMeimXVGj
I speak when I have to. I show up when it matters.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWPADBvMbV
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NDEgS6Adf
But everything I say feels like I’m lip-syncing someone else’s life.
It’s not that I want anyone to chase me.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44DUKdEGFi
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UozScTECh
I just want someone to notice that I’m drifting.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsTlGZgE65
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0a54xgtMfr
Someone to stop smiling and actually look me in the eyes and say,
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIQUEMppB1“Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClYzFJGXLW
But no one ever does.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03PDPcs2rg
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImFjGEYcWc
They believe the smile. They always believe the smile.
And I don’t blame them.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazNgjQiQQ8
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5GRNRV0Uf
I’ve made it easy.
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FRqVTCz6w
I left my journal open on purpose this time.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLDCoLcx8n
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9uPlA1T7X
Page bookmarked.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZcqUYK5fO
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgLTqoqMIQ
Highlighting one line I hoped someone would read:
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLdu9mdAGK“If you’re reading this, I don’t want to disappear quietly.”39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaf2IdxWBH
I didn’t lock my room when I left.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7f6J4lKLo
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiMlAlY6EN
I just want to see who actually comes looking.
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eIvVOQzSI
Thank you for reading. If this felt real to you, follow for the issue 3— I’m just getting start
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyi2O9Qd45Q
Issue 3 drops in [like “2 days”]
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjwIStfklu
39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KGun48vA6
