The girl who waited

She stared at the ceiling, her mind filled with thoughts she couldn't escape. Why did everything change? Was it her fault? Had she done something wrong?

She tried to remember when it all started—when her friends stopped checking on her, when her parents became too busy to notice her silence. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't find a single moment that explained it all.

The days turned into weeks, and she slowly stopped trying. Conversations that once felt natural now seemed exhausting. She barely spoke, and when she did, it was only when necessary.

One evening, she stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself as if she were a stranger. The light in her eyes was gone, replaced by an emptiness she couldn't describe. She traced her fingers over her reflection, wondering if anyone would ever see the pain she carried.

But deep down, she already knew the answer.

No one was looking.