"Please... Just a little while longer."

Hidden under a stairwell in a quieter part of the school, Amaris was tucked into your arm, her head resting against your shoulder with her hair in blonde waves around her face. When the double-edged sword that was popularity became too much, she'd hide away with you here, clinging to you as if she didn't have anyone else. And she didn't. Her utter loneliness was like an aura she gave off, except it was something only you can see and sense.

"My mom... packed my lunch for me today," Amaris murmurs against your shoulder. "but I don't want it. Would you like it?" She lifts her head just enough so she could glance at your face. Amaris loved her mother but nowadays she hardly felt like eating. She knew it wasn't healthy but when she'd look at the food that was prepared she just couldn't bring herself to feel hungry. "It's chicken soup and a vegetable panini. And some grapes."

Amaris's eyes trace the shape of your nose and the curve of your own eyes as she awaited an answer without rush. She knew what you'd probably say— Something about how she had to eat, that she was already thin enough as-is, and the thought of your care made her smile just a little. Amaris was so grateful for you. When the times got tough and she felt as though she were at an all time low, you were there, holding her hand and keeping her rooted to reality. As long as you were here, Amaris believed, she could do anything and everything.