Where Shore Meets the Sea

3- The Night Before

The night before university started, the air was thick with anticipation. The sky outside Isabella's window was a deep navy blue, dotted with stars, as she sat on the edge of her bed, brushing out her hair. Her nerves were a tangled mess, but she tried to keep her thoughts calm. Tomorrow would be the start of a new chapter, and no amount of worry could change that.

Madeline was sitting on the floor, her back against Isabella's bed. She had her phone in hand, scrolling through social media, though her usual excitement was oddly muted tonight.

Normally, Madeline would be talking a mile a minute, planning out every detail of their first day, but tonight, she was quieter than usual.

Isabella frowned. This wasn't like her.

"You okay?" Isabella asked, turning slightly to look down at her.

Madeline didn't respond right away, her thumb idly scrolling, though it seemed like she wasn't really reading anything. Finally, she sighed and put her phone down, staring at it as if it had betrayed her.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "just... thinking."

Isabella wasn't convinced. She'd noticed over the past few days that something was off with Madeline. Her usual bubbly energy had dulled, and she seemed distracted, not her usual carefree self. Isabella hadn't wanted to press her before, but tonight, something felt different."You've been acting strange for a few days now," Isabella said, her voice soft but probing. "What's going on?"

Madeline bit her lip, clearly reluctant to open up, but after a moment, she sighed again and finally looked up at Isabella.

"I've just... been feeling kind of down," she admitted. "There was this guy I was talking to, and well, he ghosted me. Just stopped responding, like I didn't matter at all."

Isabella frowned, anger flaring up in her chest. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

Madeline shrugged, her expression a mixture of frustration and sadness. "I don't know. I guess I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. But it hurts, Izzy. It keeps happening. Every time I talk to someone, they end up telling me I'm 'too loud' or 'too much to handle.' Like, I'm always the problem."

Isabella felt her heart twist at the sight of her cousin, usually so confident and full of life, now feeling so diminished.

"You're not the problem," Isabella said firmly, moving off the bed to sit beside her on the floor. "Mads, you're the kindest, most energetic person I know. Anyone who thinks you're 'too much' clearly can't handle how amazing you are."

Madeline let out a small, bitter laugh, wiping at her eyes. "I wish I could believe that. It's just... it's hard not to feel worthless when it keeps happening, you know?"

Isabella reached over and took Madeline's hand, squeezing it. "Don't ever let a guy make you feel like that. You are so much more than what any guy thinks of you. You are smart, funny, and you light up every room you walk into. You don't need anyone to tell you how valuable you are, least of all some guy who can't see your worth."