148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDUAxbH5cH
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYrDNKMyBL
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mMIhx3p1V
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjDvFwVeEI
Lena sat beside me in class today.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07Jl0ClJ8Q
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YPXzYvINh
She leaned over and asked, “You okay?”
I said, “Yeah, just tired.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJgDQyCWQK
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru9rCoWNYi
She smiled like that was enough.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8EsUdqZj0
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCaCpqw9oc
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.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtbqOayr8A
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPHpWD9vyF
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.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZHVKEKWrL
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnpjiPf5RO
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.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv53VOyPjL
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb36Q2h6lch
I speak when I have to. I show up when it matters.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBgU4e856O
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRV8qPc3P4
But everything I say feels like I’m lip-syncing someone else’s life.
It’s not that I want anyone to chase me.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXLecwLL0y
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKsUX4TKUZ
I just want someone to notice that I’m drifting.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqJVYibxQS
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgR1tSjhjjP
Someone to stop smiling and actually look me in the eyes and say,
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDsGH6vVnr“Something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXGAQJ2lJc
But no one ever does.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3DtPsVPZc
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABBYWOEdl0
They believe the smile. They always believe the smile.
And I don’t blame them.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm6omjFWSj
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGO8WqUGBJ
I’ve made it easy.
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gu7jvrfuk
I left my journal open on purpose this time.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPoxlDLjkY
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROFVJ7NtkF
Page bookmarked.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARBNUfq9Dy
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLX7wytVMc
Highlighting one line I hoped someone would read:
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklyxvWrfHF“If you’re reading this, I don’t want to disappear quietly.”148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwT64g2UPC
I didn’t lock my room when I left.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c4jwrVbJn
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwIHg42LOE
I just want to see who actually comes looking.
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvMOKHuKBO
Thank you for reading. If this felt real to you, follow for the issue 3— I’m just getting start
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4XpUePZUX
Issue 3 drops in [like “2 days”]
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbh4PKT2Nx
148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP1eSz4iwa
