x
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsHHdxyVfS
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8mL2HH8eL
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqI56q4uPV
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXlMl7Hr8M
Lena sat beside me in class today.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡie4upXomBj
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfW0MOy0DDK
She leaned over and asked, “You okay?”
I said, “Yeah, just tired.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7jxg132In
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwmTByYbFu
She smiled like that was enough.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rhOrzC0Is
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKSEsk6bc7
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsP6dUZZvi3
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDUXgT6Uqb
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZPCEawSJI
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpGWAuTGjT
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBmnOBn12M
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xd0GglMvG
I speak when I have to. I show up when it matters.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4IUKiIyhH
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhuCfNJpLD
But everything I say feels like I’m lip-syncing someone else’s life.
It’s not that I want anyone to chase me.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3GloIRSjW
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeIZatgh9G
I just want someone to notice that I’m drifting.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8YjwMF3NN
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFsHjw5j1G
Someone to stop smiling and actually look me in the eyes and say,
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4wdqq6nFn“Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VR07L0CYP
But no one ever does.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2XvnMZJCj
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0Ebc1I8dh
They believe the smile. They always believe the smile.
And I don’t blame them.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTEYvfB5Af
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8niLSczX0
I’ve made it easy.
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguuBi3UzZL
I left my journal open on purpose this time.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdljYqL2HT
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoVb09J2Rb
Page bookmarked.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzePAhDHWRk
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4MYDJoFOs
Highlighting one line I hoped someone would read:
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStD28pwaIM“If you’re reading this, I don’t want to disappear quietly.”41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpXFSOW5tb
I didn’t lock my room when I left.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzTVnjzl0q
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDI3pAIxhf5
I just want to see who actually comes looking.
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yUeprMoUi
Thank you for reading. If this felt real to you, follow for the issue 3— I’m just getting start
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBTT1hAWwj
Issue 3 drops in [like “2 days”]
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWXRslKfzP
41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeYkrsa1p5
