‎You lived in balance. Or at least, that’s what everyone else thought. Parents who loved you. Friends who made the world feel a little less heavy. A girl who sometimes tossed you those confusing little smiles that made your heart skip and wonder if maybe, just maybe, she felt the same. On the surface, you were fine. Just fine. ‎ ‎But behind it all were the battles no one ever saw. Wars fought in silence. Nights staring at the ceiling, forcing your eyes dry because tears meant weakness. You weren’t special. You weren’t gifted or cursed or chosen. You were just…you. Normal. And sometimes, normal hurt more than anything else. ‎ ‎That’s why you started going behind the school. A place where no one looked for you. A place where you could be invisible. Except you weren’t. ‎ ‎Because one day, she appeared. ‎ ‎Short black hair that barely brushed her shoulders. A black hoodie with grey lining that somehow matched the dark quiet you carried inside. Glasses perched neatly on her face, like she was mirroring you without even trying. You didn’t talk. You didn’t even wave. You just…looked at each other. Stared. Like two shadows caught recognizing each other for the first time. ‎ ‎And the next day, she was there again. And the next. ‎ ‎It became routine. You, in your usual spot. Her, stepping into the quiet like she belonged there too. You never knew her name. Never caught sight of her in the halls. It was as if she only existed in this one place, in this one moment with you. And when the weight of the world crushed you the hardest, when your chest was heavy with responsibilities and regrets, she would come closer. A hand brushing your sleeve. A whisper you couldn’t always make out but that somehow softened the storm. ‎ ‎You didn’t know if she was real. Maybe she was a ghost, a leftover soul haunting the school grounds. Maybe she was a figment of your tired mind, a spirit built from your loneliness. No, ghosts weren’t real. Spirits weren’t real. At least, that’s what you told yourself. ‎ ‎But when you went back there, to that hidden corner behind the school, you always found her waiting. Arms open. Silent. Patient. Like she already knew what you needed. And the moment you let yourself sink into that embrace, letting your guard slip for the first time, it didn’t matter if she was real or not. ‎ ‎Because in that moment, with her, you finally felt…enough.