Chapter 3: One Step Forward

Lena's steps were slower than usual as she made her way out of the school. The sound of her shoes on the pavement seemed to echo louder now, as though each footfall was a reminder that she was still here, still existing, despite everything that had been thrown at her today.

Claire's words kept replaying in her mind: "I see you." It was strange, hearing those words from someone who had never really spoken to her before. In a world that felt like it constantly ignored her, to hear someone acknowledge her was… it was different. For a moment, it made the weight of the day feel a little lighter, as though the bruises that Trisha and Emma and everyone else had left on her could be erased, or at least softened.

She walked to the bus stop, her bag slung over her shoulder, and the usual crowd of students gathered around, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Lena stood at the edge of the crowd, near the farthest end of the bench. She preferred it that way, out of the center of attention. She didn't want to risk another run-in with Trisha or any of the others.

As she waited for the bus, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, thinking it might be a text from her mom or maybe even her dad—though that was rare. It was from Emma.

"Don't think I forgot about you today, fatty. It's not enough that you make mom and dad miserable, but you embarrass me too. Don't come home acting like nothing happened. I won't let you forget."

Lena stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the screen, wanting to reply, to say something back, but she couldn't bring herself to. What was the point? Emma would never understand. She didn't care. It was easier to just keep quiet and hope that one day, the words would stop mattering. She turned her phone face down and stuffed it back into her pocket.

The bus arrived, and Lena climbed aboard, choosing the seat in the back. The ride home was always the same—quiet, lonely. Her mind wandered back to Claire's words. You're not invisible to everyone.

But Lena wasn't sure that was enough. Was it enough to matter if one person saw her? Was it enough to feel seen when the rest of the world seemed content to look away?

As she stepped off the bus, the chill of the evening air hit her, and she pulled her sweatshirt tighter around her. She half-walked, half-dragged her feet up the driveway. The house loomed in front of her like a reminder of everything that had gone wrong, a place where the same cycle repeated itself every day.

When she walked in, the sounds of Emma's voice greeted her. "Oh look, the invisible one is home. Don't even bother coming near me unless you want to embarrass me again."

Lena didn't respond, just dropped her bag by the door and started walking toward the kitchen. Her parents were sitting at the table, talking about something important, as always. When they saw her enter, neither of them looked up. They rarely did, except when it was to tell her to clean up after herself or remind her about schoolwork.

"Lena," her mother said distractedly as she reached for the remote to the television, "I need you to help set the table tonight."

Lena nodded quietly, the familiar routine of the evening swallowing her whole. It felt like the same story—every day, every meal, every moment. She wondered if anything would ever change, if she'd ever get a chance to stand up and shout that she mattered, that she wasn't just the background noise in a family that couldn't see her.

As she set the table, her mother glanced at her, then back at the TV.

"Did you eat much at lunch?" her mother asked, her tone absent.

"Yeah," Lena mumbled, though she hadn't eaten much. What was the point?

Emma slid into the kitchen, pretending to be busy, but Lena could see the look in her eyes—the one that said she was planning something, always planning something. Emma took a long look at Lena, as if trying to size her up, and then turned away, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't you wish you were as thin as me? You wouldn't get made fun of, that's for sure. Maybe you should try being more like me. Maybe then people wouldn't talk behind your back."

Lena felt the anger rise, that familiar knot in her stomach. Emma never let up. No one ever did. But this time, instead of crumbling, instead of letting the words dig deeper, Lena paused.

"You know," she said quietly, "maybe you should stop trying to make everyone around you feel small. It's not my fault you feel the need to put others down so you can feel better about yourself."

Emma froze, the smirk falling from her face for just a moment. Lena's words hung in the air, sharp but steady. She didn't expect them to change anything, didn't expect Emma to suddenly be kind. But for once, Lena felt like she had a voice.

Emma didn't say anything back. She just turned and walked away, but for the first time in a long while, Lena felt like she'd at least made a small mark. She wasn't invisible. Not anymore. Maybe it was just a little step, but it was one in the right direction.

That night, after dinner, Lena went up to her room and sat by the window, staring out at the dark sky. The stars were barely visible, obscured by the city lights. Still, she felt a small glimmer of hope—something she hadn't felt in a long time.

I'm here, she thought. I'm not invisible. Not anymore.

The next day, as Lena walked to school, she still felt the weight of everything pressing down on her. But it wasn't the same weight as before. She was still nervous. She was still afraid of the whispers and the stares. But she knew now that she didn't have to just take it. She didn't have to hide away in silence.

She was allowed to speak up. She was allowed to exist.

When the first bell rang and the hallways began to fill with students, Lena walked with her head a little higher. She still avoided the popular girls, still kept her distance from the crowd, but she held herself differently. She wasn't invisible anymore.

She was cheaper, perhaps, but only in the eyes of those too small to see anything more.

And that, Lena realized, was their problem. Not hers.