Lonliness

The warm sunlight streamed through the classroom windows as Emma sat quietly at his desk, his eyes focused on the colorful drawings that covered the walls. 

Emma's hair was now down to his shoulders, kept in a high messy man bun. His blue eyes focused on his current task. The other children laughed and played in small groups, their voices echoing throughout the room. But Emma remained alone, his small hands resting on his lap as he stared blankly ahead.

He was back at school, but things felt different. The excitement he once felt about learning and making friends had faded into a dull ache of loneliness. Every time he looked around, it seemed like there was a wall between him and everyone else. The other kids whispered, played, and giggled together, while he sat on the outskirts, watching from a distance.

At recess, Emma stood by the swings, watching the other children run around the playground. A small group of kids played tag nearby, their laughter loud and carefree. Emma shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling the familiar tug of isolation. He wanted to join them—he really did—but something held him back. 

"Okay… Today's the day I ask to join them-" Emma steps forward, freezing in place after only a single step. The memory of the teasing and hurtful comments came rushing back. One boy turns around, stopping in the middle of the game of tag

"Get away… you can't play with us," his voice was dismissive. Another kid whispers.

"Why does he even come here if he doesn't talk to anyone?" another had whispered, but loud enough for Emma to hear. 

The weight of those words clung to him, making it harder to breathe, harder to try. He glanced down at the ground, his small fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt, trying to fight back the tears that stung his eyes. He missed Alex. He missed the comfort of being home, where things felt safe.

At lunch, Emma sat at the edge of a table, his sandwich untouched. The other kids were talking about a party someone was having that weekend, passing out invitations. Emma watched as they handed them out to everyone, his heart sinking as he realized he wasn't getting one.

"Can I come?" he asked quietly, his voice barely audible. One of the kids looked at him and shrugged. 

"I don't know… you don't really talk to us much," they said before turning back to the conversation. Emma's face flushed with embarrassment, and he turned away, staring down at his food. He didn't feel hungry anymore. The rejection stung more than the teasing ever had. It made him feel invisible—like he didn't matter.

As the days went by, the sense of loneliness grew. Emma tried to be brave, tried to push through the hurt, but it was becoming harder. He didn't have anyone to talk to during recess or anyone to laugh with at lunch. It was as if the world had moved on without him, and he was left standing still, trapped in a bubble of sadness.

Alex watches off to the side, growing more concerned about Emma as the days pass.

Each day, he found himself retreating further into his own thoughts, feeling more disconnected from the world around him. He'd sit quietly, staring at the other kids with a mixture of longing and sadness, wondering why no one wanted to be his friend. Was there something wrong with him? Was it because of his name? Or was it because of his time away from school?

"D-Dad?" Alex turns to look at Emma. Putting a dirty dish back in the sink.

"What is it, bud?" Emma opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. He tensed up, trying to express his feelings, but nothing came out. He didn't want to make Alex worry again—not after everything they'd been through. Instead, Emma exhaled

"I'm tired… I'm gonna go to bed early tonight…" Alex watched as Emma left to his bedroom silently, curling up under the covers. 

Emma's heart ached in ways he didn't fully understand. He felt small and insignificant, like a shadow passing through the school halls, unseen and unheard. The sadness weighed on him, growing heavier with each passing day, until it felt like a permanent part of him.

"Why don't they see me?" He wanted so badly to feel like he belonged, but no matter what he did, that feeling never came. The loneliness wrapped around him like a thick fog, and Emma didn't know how to escape it. All he could do was hope that one day, someone would notice him—someone would care. But for now, the world felt quiet, and Emma was left to navigate the silence alone.