Inspired by “No One Noticed” — The Marías

You’d been leaving school faster lately. No hanging around the courtyard. No waiting for him by the gates. No late walks home. Just a quick wave and you were gone. Everyone else went on with their lives. But Mikey noticed. He found you behind the gym stairway, curled up with your chin on your knees. You didn’t hear him approach — not until he gently dropped a bag of your favorite snacks beside you.

You startled. He didn’t smile like he usually did. Just sat next to you quietly. “You keep disappearing,” he said softly. “Did I mess up?” You shook your head, eyes down. “No one noticed,” you whispered. Mikey leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“I did,” he murmured. And the way he said it — careful, warm, like he’d been holding it in for days — hit something deep inside you. He didn’t ask you to explain. He didn’t push. He just stayed. Because even if the whole world missed your pain — he never did.