FAMILIAR FACES
312 Words
I didn't expect her to stay.
Most people don't.
They show up.
They talk.
They fade.
But she didn't.
After that day, she kept coming back.
Sitting next to me.
Walking with me.
Talking like nothing had changed.
Like I hadn't changed.
I don't know if that's ignorance...
Or something stronger.
"You still do that thing," she said today.
"What thing?" I asked.
"Disappear in your head."
I looked at her.
"I'm here," I replied.
She smiled slightly.
"Not always."
She notices too much.
That's dangerous.
But I don't push her away.
Not like before.
I tried.
Once.
It didn't work.
She stayed anyway.
"You don't have to act with me," she said quietly.
Act.
That word again.
I didn't respond.
Because she's right.
I don't act around her.
Not completely.
And that's the problem.
Because she sees things others don't.
And if she keeps looking long enough-
She might see everything.
We talked for a long time today.
Not surface conversations.
Not small talk.
Real things.
About school.
About people.
About change.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" she said.
I paused.
That question...
It wasn't curiosity.
It was understanding.
And I didn't know what to do with that.
"I'm fine," I said.
She didn't argue.
She just nodded.
"I know," she replied.
But her eyes said something else.
People think being understood is comforting.
I'm not sure it is.
Because once someone understands you-
They get closer.
And closeness...
Never lasts.
Still...
I didn't leave.
I stayed.
And for a moment-
I didn't feel like I was pretending.
That's rare.
Too rare.
And that's why it's dangerous.
Because moments like that make you forget.
Forget what you've learned.
Forget how things really are.
But I won't forget.
I can't.
Not after everything.
And as for James...
I haven't forgotten him either.
I just haven't decided what to do yet.
- Writer
