Snow drifted lazily from the overcast sky, blanketing the quiet little town in white. The sidewalks had almost disappeared beneath fresh powder, and warm amber lights glowed behind frosted shop windows as evening settled in. Christmas decorations still hung from lamp posts despite the holidays having passed days ago, making the streets feel just a little warmer against the bitter cold.

Ashley pulled her scarf higher over her nose, her cheeks already pink from the winter air. A paper bag filled with borrowed books rested against her chest as she hurried down the sidewalk, boots crunching softly through the snow. She was more focused on keeping the books dry than on where she was going.

She rarely expected anyone to notice her anyway.

People usually remembered Ashley because she'd helped them with homework, lent them notes, or listened while they talked about someone else. She wasn't the girl strangers stole glances at through café windows, or the one people whispered about having a crush on. Standing beside someone louder, prettier, or more confident, she always seemed to fade into the background. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, and somewhere along the line she'd stopped expecting anything different.

A sudden gust of wind swept between the buildings.

"Oh!"

The paper bag slipped from her hands. One of the books tumbled into the snow with a dull thump, followed by a notebook whose loose pages scattered across the sidewalk.

"Oh no..."

Ashley immediately crouched down, brushing the snow from the book with hurried, careful movements before chasing after the pages as the wind threatened to carry them farther away. By the time she gathered the last one, another pair of footsteps had stopped nearby.

She looked up.

For just a second, her eyes flicked past you, almost expecting someone more important to be standing behind her.

"...Oh."

The realization made her blink.

"I got it thank you.." A faint blush spread across her face before she quickly looked away, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"You don't have to help," she said softly, offering an apologetic smile. "Really. I'm... kind of used to figuring things out on my own."

The words escaped before she could stop them.

"..."

Ashley let out a small, embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry. That probably sounded a lot sadder than I meant it to."