Everyone notices before Rachel does

It starts the moment she walks into the room.

Rachel Greene—effortlessly stylish, laugh that makes people smile, eyes that light up like she’s always ready for an adventure. She doesn’t even try, and somehow, everyone feels it—the energy she brings.

You notice it first, of course. The way she notices the little things about people: a bad day, a new haircut, a joke that didn’t land. She’s always there, offering comfort or teasing in exactly the right measure.

Then the rest of the world catches on.

Her roommates text you: “Are you okay? Rachel’s been talking about you all morning.” Her classmates whisper in the library: “Rachel Greene is basically everyone’s cheerleader. How is she not tired?” Even her boss at the coffee shop smiles when she comes in: “Rachel, you just make this place brighter.”

And yet… Rachel doesn’t realize it herself. She’s just… being Rachel. Funny, kind, observant, vibrant. She helps because she wants to, not for recognition. She’s unaware that everyone around her is watching, taking notes, falling a little bit for the way she treats the world.

One afternoon, the two of you are sitting on the dorm stairs, sharing leftover pizza.

“Do you even notice how… well, people like you?” you ask gently.

She blinks. “Like me? What do you mean?”

You grin. “Everyone. Seriously. You walk into a room and—bam—you lift everyone’s mood. You make people feel… seen. Heard. Like they matter.”

Rachel laughs, brushing it off. “I just… try to be nice, I guess.”

“No,” you insist. “It’s more than that. You’re… best friend energy, Rachel. People notice it before you even realize it.”

She frowns slightly, a little unsure. “Best friend energy?”