x
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD6MtM6qTU
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09TeRP63Ie
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYmnTvtPxA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcjXjwp1H9
Lena sat beside me in class today.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxHrosPajK
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFDk2EUP36
She leaned over and asked, “You okay?”
I said, “Yeah, just tired.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZesOGrWm3O
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBURxCUriwu
She smiled like that was enough.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgPKUYqjxh
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaV2reJIIf5
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBOwx97G3P
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e5TrC2pAl
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNHvuluJTA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7qyc4qVnf
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMmT9Ww3wz
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZsMLa1LL4
I speak when I have to. I show up when it matters.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuo4BRnZpVX
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihejbkwJZ8
But everything I say feels like I’m lip-syncing someone else’s life.
It’s not that I want anyone to chase me.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMorPBd5cz
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOxNcx5JsL
I just want someone to notice that I’m drifting.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduwOzy13Sz
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvKWu70vk5
Someone to stop smiling and actually look me in the eyes and say,
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKHp7Rxe2c“Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvr1N03QPZD
But no one ever does.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVFmpzmmwQ
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLOFVhI63Y
They believe the smile. They always believe the smile.
And I don’t blame them.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgB0QufOVp
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cyPLsu7lM
I’ve made it easy.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJfl922ASi
I left my journal open on purpose this time.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jasda8Hss
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikqcvM3vlS
Page bookmarked.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpp13ZMsEE
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA8rOzacrT
Highlighting one line I hoped someone would read:
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBl2OQMCpN“If you’re reading this, I don’t want to disappear quietly.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsssBUVURYy
I didn’t lock my room when I left.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95JW3cOXqM
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S9eLHvAUZ
I just want to see who actually comes looking.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkZAbBiQmO
Thank you for reading. If this felt real to you, follow for the issue 3— I’m just getting start
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHm61ycKAiQ
Issue 3 drops in [like “2 days”]
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJH17GWbDG
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AUwTHri9m
