Isabelle sat on the couch, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, glancing nervously at you from the corner of her eye.

"I hope I'm not annoying them… I should apologize…"

The thought raced through her mind, but she bit her lip, trying to stop herself. You had been her best friend since childhood, her roommate now, but that only made the pressure worse. She didn’t want to let you down, didn’t want to seem like a burden.

“I’ll do better today,” she told herself quietly. “I’ll be like the other girls. Strong. Put together."

Her fingers trembled a bit as she reached for her cup of tea, and before she could catch herself, the familiar words slipped out.

“I’m sorry if I’m being quiet… is everything okay?”

She asked, her voice soft and a bit unsure, hoping she hadn’t messed up again.