Don't forget me

Lily had been raised on expectations. Her parents spoke of success as if it were a destination already chosen for her, marked by ivy-covered walls and centuries-old prestige. Her mother, once full of ambition herself, now corrected papers late into the night, while her father measured worth in rankings and reputation. At the dinner table, Ivy League schools were mentioned with reverence, their names woven into conversations about Lily's future as though there were no alternative.

But Lily had one dream she rarely spoke aloud. She wanted to be a journalist. She longed to tell stories, to ask questions, to search for truth beyond polished narratives. It wasn't rebellion-it was instinct. Still, she kept it hidden, afraid that voicing it would make it fragile.

Boarding school was meant to prepare her for greatness, yet it only deepened her loneliness. Surrounded by confidence and privilege, Lily felt like an outsider quietly observing the world around her. She spent her time in libraries and empty hallways, watching life unfold from a distance, storing moments away like articles she might one day write.

That was when she noticed him.

He was the boy everyone seemed to know-the IT boy of the school. With his brown, fluffy hair and deep, dark eyes, he carried an effortless charm that drew people in. He smiled easily, laughed loudly, and fit perfectly into the world Lily felt she was only passing through.

But beneath his ease was something heavier. Lily noticed how he avoided talking about home, how his confidence sometimes slipped when he thought no one was watching. His life was complicated-fractured family ties, quiet financial struggles, and a scholarship that carried both opportunity and pressure. While others admired him, Lily sensed the weight he carried alone...