Just tired

15-year-old Elena has always been good at pretending.

Pretending she's fine.
Pretending she's not exhausted by her own thoughts.
Pretending the noise in her head isn't getting louder.

On the outside, she's quiet but capable - a good student, a loyal friend, the kind of girl who doesn't cause problems. But beneath the surface, anxiety coils tight in her chest, self-doubt follows her everywhere, and the coping mechanisms she turns to only deepen her shame.

When a relapse forces her to confront what she's been hiding, Elena is faced with something more terrifying than her own thoughts: telling the truth.

In just five raw chapters, this story follows a girl learning that healing isn't linear, strength doesn't mean silence, and asking for help isn't weakness - it's survival.

Tender, honest, and hopeful, this short novel explores anxiety, mental health struggles, and recovery with compassion, reminding readers that even on the hardest days, staying is an act of courage.

This book is about my experiences and some stuff my friends also went through 🫂