But I'm Different (A Demi Lovato Fanfiction)

Chapter: Under the Same Stars

The moment my phone buzzed, I nearly dropped it in excitement. Mia had finally replied. My heart was pounding before I even unlocked the screen to read her message.

Sab, I finally opened your gift. I wasn't sure if I was ready before, but I did it today. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever had. I'm honestly overwhelmed. Thank you so much.

My breath hitched. Overwhelmed - that word hung in my chest like a fragile promise. She actually liked it. After everything she'd been through, after everything she'd hidden, she trusted me enough to open the gift.

I typed back quickly, hands trembling just a little.

I'm so happy you like it, Mia. You deserve to feel special. When can we meet? I think we need some time, just to talk, to be with each other.

Almost instantly, she replied.

I'd like that. I think I'm ready now. No masks, no pretending. Just us.

The whole day stretched ahead of me with a strange lightness. I could barely concentrate on anything else. I counted down the minutes until I could see her again.

We agreed to meet in the park close to Mia's neighborhood. The sun was still warm when I arrived, but a cool breeze swept through the trees. I spotted her sitting by the old oak, her hands twisting the silver box I'd wrapped so carefully. The light caught the engraved star on the lid, making it glow softly.

When Mia saw me, she gave the smallest smile, almost shy. My heart squeezed.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," I replied, my voice a little breathless.

She opened the box slowly, her fingers trembling just slightly. Inside rested the concert tickets. She picked it up, eyes shining wet.

For a while, we just sat there, letting the words hang between us. The park buzzed quietly with distant laughter and the rustling of leaves, but around us, time felt still.

I wanted to reach out, to hold her hand, but I was scared of breaking the fragile moment. Instead, we started to talk-really talk.

At first, about small things: school, music, silly jokes about our mutual love for weird bands. But the conversation slowly shifted. We began peeling back layers we didn't show the world.

Mia's voice dropped when she spoke of her little brother, Liam. She told me how she was the one who looked after him when their mom wasn't around-usually late at night when the house was too quiet or too loud for the wrong reasons.

"She's never really been there for us," Mia said, her eyes flickering with pain. "When she's home, she's... different. Angry. Cold. Like we're burdens, not her kids."

I swallowed hard, picturing a little boy left with the weight of his mom's absence and a teenage sister who had to grow up too fast.

"I didn't know," I whispered.

"Most people don't. I keep it hidden. I can't let anyone inside that part of my life. It's not safe."

I nodded slowly, understanding that silence wasn't just about privacy-it was survival.

I shared some of my own dark moments too, how some days felt like I was invisible, like my feelings didn't matter. How I longed for someone to really see me.

We found comfort in that shared loneliness.

As the afternoon slipped into evening, we wandered to a nearby field, spreading out a thin blanket Mia had tucked in her bag. The grass was soft beneath us, smelling like earth and wildflowers.

We lay side by side, shoulders almost touching, staring up at the sky as the sun bled its last rays and the stars began to blink awake.

Neither of us said much. Words felt unnecessary.

I felt the weight of her presence next to me-the warmth, the quiet strength.

Our eyes met. For a long moment, we simply held each other's gaze, something electric humming in the silence.

It wasn't a kiss-not yet-but the air around us thickened with something unspoken: the beginning of something new, fragile and raw.

I wanted to reach out, but I didn't want to scare her away.

Instead, our fingers brushed lightly, a touch so small but full of promise.

The stars wheeled overhead, bright and distant, as if watching over us.

After a while, I broke the silence.

"Mia... what about Liam? Would he want to come here for Christmas? I think you two shouldn't be alone this year. It's such a special night-I want you both to feel safe. To feel loved."

Her eyes glistened with tears, and she nodded slowly.

"I don't know... but maybe. I think he'd like that."

Later, I told Demi everything.

"She's so lucky to have you, Sab," Demi said softly. "And Liam would love it. You guys will make this Christmas something to remember."

My heart felt like it might burst.

I couldn't wait to tell Mia.

Because for the first time in a long time, it felt like we were building something real-not just pain or fear, but something bright. Something worth fighting for.