x
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAazvO6y1IZ
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBjB3J9uwO
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR7Zrxukap
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakbdZRSPEZ
Lena sat beside me in class today.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbud5mtJcWi
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz4wCoii7i
She leaned over and asked, “You okay?”
I said, “Yeah, just tired.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmvO9OkwBW
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9U5zV7zji
She smiled like that was enough.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1urbZK516
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp4nuMBSY3
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nJtL5HFgN
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcZvk0gFQI
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK5jJfo36i
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeowxEqtWlb
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjp2lTJlWmH
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCMrxt1JzC
I speak when I have to. I show up when it matters.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlDW6psSKz
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0yHVXpXGp
But everything I say feels like I’m lip-syncing someone else’s life.
It’s not that I want anyone to chase me.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQspC52Dodg
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCuYq1N0VI
I just want someone to notice that I’m drifting.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvYdbeXSDY
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIShdi5OwP
Someone to stop smiling and actually look me in the eyes and say,
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCIBaKiIW1“Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsokr9NLn3b
But no one ever does.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ736zFZkMCu
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9oC5CH4ic
They believe the smile. They always believe the smile.
And I don’t blame them.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANH4iMfBcV
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FM4Bh7MYC
I’ve made it easy.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhZP5g6QKX
I left my journal open on purpose this time.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyGgBCPAhp
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BJWYzfiyG
Page bookmarked.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAJxvnrYdM
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqUwVkQgi6
Highlighting one line I hoped someone would read:
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvzXa7jkJr“If you’re reading this, I don’t want to disappear quietly.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjALOhUr6fq
I didn’t lock my room when I left.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVugCRnTvdf
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTz1X48yEV
I just want to see who actually comes looking.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡag4xQ9xbGT
Thank you for reading. If this felt real to you, follow for the issue 3— I’m just getting start
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1KZzLMJuW
Issue 3 drops in [like “2 days”]
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX46Yk6QwXR
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpY5duyt8u
