Whispers of an invisible girl

Chapter 2: The Alien Feeling

Celeste stood at the edge of the school parking lot, her arms folded tightly across her chest as if she could shield herself from the feeling of dread sinking into her stomach. It was the first day of her senior year, and while others were bustling with excitement—chattering about classes, summer break, and college plans—she felt like a ghost among them.

The morning sun glared down on the blacktop, and the air was thick with the smell of fresh-cut grass and the buzz of voices overlapping into a constant hum. It should have felt familiar—this was the same school she had walked through for three years. But today, the halls, the people, and even the classrooms felt distant. Foreign. As if she'd entered a world that had moved on without her.

Celeste swallowed the lump in her throat and adjusted her backpack straps, trying to look like she belonged, even if everything inside her screamed otherwise. Her fingers nervously played with the zipper on her bag as she hesitated by the front entrance. Other students moved around her effortlessly, greeting each other with hugs and animated conversation. They were all part of something. She, however, stood alone, trying to navigate the noise and laughter without being noticed.

As Celeste finally entered the building, the familiar smell of old textbooks and linoleum floors greeted her, but it didn't bring the comfort it once had. She moved through the hallways, her sneakers squeaking softly with each step, as if the sound itself was reminding her of her presence, something she couldn't quite shake off. Every face she passed felt like a stranger's, even those she had known for years. She wanted to blend in, but instead, it felt like she stood out in all the wrong ways.

Her first class, English Lit, was always her favorite subject, but even here, the alien feeling followed her. As she slid into her seat near the back, the conversations between classmates flowed seamlessly around her, like she wasn't even there. She glanced around, seeing groups that had been tight-knit since sophomore year, and it was hard not to wonder why she had drifted so far from them. The distance wasn't physical—it was something deeper, something she couldn't explain.

"I feel like an alien, I'm just not the same.

The lyrics from Han Jisung's  Alien whispered in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel the weight of their truth. Everyone around her seemed to know who they were, where they fit in the grand scheme of things, while she felt like a visitor from another planet. She glanced down at her notebook and began doodling, trying to keep her mind from spiraling. Circles, lines, and half-finished shapes covered the page as her thoughts wandered.

How was it that she could be surrounded by so many people, yet feel so incredibly alone?

Her teacher, Mrs. Carter, called the class to attention, and Celeste snapped out of her thoughts. The syllabus was being passed around, but Celeste could barely focus on the words. Instead, her mind replayed fragments of conversations she had overheard in the hall earlier. Friends talking about their summers, the parties they had gone to, the memories they had made. She hadn't been a part of any of it.

Not that she had tried. In truth, she had spent most of the summer alone, avoiding invitations with excuses that sounded more reasonable in her head than they had when spoken aloud. But even when she did make an effort, something always felt off. She'd sit among her friends, trying to join in the conversation, but her words always felt misplaced, like puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit. They'd smile at her, but the smiles never reached their eyes, and the gap between them only grew wider.