Aayushi

Your brain caves in on itself. Your stomach tightens. Is the room getting smaller? Never mind that, just focus on anything other than your stress. Anything other than your problems. 

Anything other than the fact that your friend who never smiles at you had a good laugh with someone who’s been gone since winter break. 

There’s something about her smile, though, that makes your worries melt away like an ice cube. 

Suddenly, you smile. 

Why this happens whenever she smiles, you don’t know. You just know that you don’t care who your friend smiles at and who she doesn’t, just as long as she’s happy.

Because when she’s happy, you’re happy. 

You can’t help but let your mind travel to what it would feel like to have her smile at you. Your smile fades. Does she consider you annoying with how many questions you ask? Stupid with how much you repeat yourself? 

A bad friend for even thinking that?

Just ignore yourself. Your thoughts are too much. They don’t even know how to get her to laugh with you.

You’re just a fool.

A nobody.

Just a kid who dreams too big and knows little.

A kid who will never get her to smile at you.