not

said anything. B

was afraid to wake a wound I hadn't spoken of yet. My best friend stopped teasing me a

gotten good

sed to the version of me that h

what hurt more-losing hi

e walking forward, yes, but they didn't see the weight of the string I

riend Ameenah s

talk about

know wh

ied? Should I have told her that silen

alk about," I replied.

t in her eyes. She knew. May

ee the scab but not the scar underneath. They assume silence means streng

ss-the one who never noticed anyone's emo

ou g

d. Kind. Un

without m

f I wasn't, wh

boy who never

s you how to

d when needed. I let them watch w

chapter of my life wasn't m

quiet kindness of the ones who stayed even