THE DECISION

red me

fresh start. New friends, ne

ckers behind my back, and exclusion from social gatherings. The once-warm smiles turned col

r the day the l

n, a sanctuary of friendship and disc

ass, nervous and excited. That's where I met Emma,

night study sessions. Our tables were always filled w

s passed, subtle

ing with the popu

d the cheerl

g out with his ne

ck in a sea of

w, a chasm wide

the gap, but my

o parties, only to

plans, onl

spers s

what she wo

haircut, it

r echoed down

e the o

encouragement faded

ed with their own str

s they ch

drop by drop, unti

dering what I'd done wrong. Was it my awkward

ss within me. My siblings, younger and c

rs, now seemed dista

into shadows, their f

ng on the fringes, invi

stasized, spreading

respite. New face

crumbled bef

nt, each a fleet

the silence

ted into

ecame m

worlds, my

sanctuaries w

in see

by

became

ur laughter,

me of what

achel's giggles

into the

with shatte

at on

n to q

somethi

hing

it ju

ertaint

my

navig

solate

high s

tiness

waking

y dr

nigh

ame a

g the f

a l

ce k

red memori

tant r

isol

gile

to its

ne had

ting

for

autumn

memo

distan

ncholy

into

g me h

f what I

pered

could ha

shat

thousan

d never b