LOVES TRAILS: A JOURNEY OF FORGIVENESS

e mirror, trying to convince myself that I could handle this. I put on my uniform, but it felt stra

d notice me. But it didn't take long before David and Mirabel spotted me from

d about you," David said, p

softly. "We're here fo

t forced. "Thanks, guys. I'm

ing back to Dad, wondering how he was coping and if he was okay. The teachers' v

n. But then, something-or rather, someone-caught my eye. Among the chaos of students rushing to get home, I

a group of friends, completely unaware of me. I didn't know why, but I felt like I needed to talk to her, to find out w

e asked, noticing

y eyes lingering on Anita as s

h her auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. With each step she took, heads turned, eyes followed, and hearts fluttered

when she talked about her dreams of going to university and making a difference in the world. But alongside my admiration, doubt started to creep in. I was just a strugg

approached her by her locker. "Hey, Anita," I stammered nervously, my palms sweaty and my heart beatin

feared. Instead, she flashed me a warm smile and replied, "I'd love to

ver every word, agonizing over whether it sounded too desperate or not desperate enough. But when Anita found the note, her reaction was not what I had ho

to find a way to break through the wa

ng through the empty halls after school. But once again, Anita's response was lukewarm at best. She hesitated, search

everything I could think of-complimenting her, offering to carry her books to class, and more. But no matter what I did, it

vulnerable, that it left me feeling exposed. But when Anita read the words I had written, her expression was one of pity, rather than compassion I

als; that wore me down, but the nagging suspicion that my family's modest background might be part of why Anita was hesitant. How could

r. Surprised, I opened it to find my two closest friends from school, David and Mirabe

ever. They could see it written all over my face-the frustration, the disappointment, the