As long as i'm with you
Mornings in their town always began in a rush. Students gathering in uniforms, Car honking impatiently, and vendors calling out for early customers. In the middle of that noise, Aria thrived. She walked with steady strides, the kind of presence that made people part way without her asking.
People often looked at her as someone who had it all together. Aria was the girl who knew how to lead a group project, how to speak her mind in class without faltering, how to make friends in every corner of the schoolyard.
Teachers admired her confidence. Friends admired her strength. Even strangers could feel the ease with which she moved, as though she was certain of her place in the world.
But certainty was a lie. Beneath the surface, Aria’s skin felt like a prison she could not escape. Every smile she wore in front of others was laced with a private bitterness, every victory soured by an inner voice that whispered she was unworthy.
She could not explain it, not even to herself. For reasons she could not name, she despised her own being. And though no one else saw it, the hatred lived in her like a quiet, stubborn flame.
Still, Aria carried on. Her friends crowded around her during breaks, pulling her into their laughter. She told stories, cracked jokes, gave advice. If she hated herself, she refused to let the world see it.
But there was one person who saw through her anyway. 𝘼𝙞𝙖𝙝.
Aiah’s presence was a comfort everyone gravitated toward. She was the kind of girl who remembered people’s birthdays, who offered her shoulder when someone cried, who carried responsibilities no one her age should have had to bear.
At home, she was the eldest daughter, the one her siblings leaned on when their parents fought, the one her mother called for when bills piled up, the one who carried the invisible weight of keeping everyone together.
At school, she was the friend who always knew when someone was hurting, even when they smiled. The one who stayed up late to help with projects, even if it meant sacrificing her own rest.
Aiah’s strength was the kind that went unnoticed until you leaned on it. Then you realized she had been holding you all along.
But even Aiah had her limits. There were nights when she collapsed on her bed, wishing just once that someone would take care of her. Nights when she cried quietly into her pillow, not wanting to let anyone know she was breaking too.
And in those moments, Aria was the one who found her.
It was strange how the two of them fit together. Aria, the leader who hated herself, and Aiah, the caretaker who was often too tired to care for herself. They balanced each other in ways no one else could.
Their classmates joked that the two were inseparable, like halves of a whole. Some even whispered they were more than friends, but neither paid attention to the rumors. Their bond was something beyond labels.
With Aria, Aiah could stop being “the strong one.” With Aiah, Aria could stop pretending she loved herself. They didn’t need to explain it to anyone—it was enough that they understood each other.
One afternoon, they sat by the church steps, watching the sun bleed into the horizon. Children played tag nearby, their laughter ringing through the air.
Aria
You know what’s funny?
Aria said, her tone unusually quiet.
Aria
Everyone thinks I’m so sure of myself. But sometimes, I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s life. Like this isn’t me.
Aiah leaned back, stretching her arms.
Aiah
You’re overthinking again. People love you because you’re you.
Aria smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
Aria
Maybe. Or maybe they only love what I show them.
Aiah didn’t press further. She knew Aria well enough to recognize the walls she built when conversations got too close to the truth.
Instead, she changed the subject.
Aiah
What if one day you just… disappeared? Like, poof, gone. What do you think would happen?
Aria
People would move on. That’s what people do.
Aiah shook her head. She tapped her chest lightly.
Aiah
Not me. I’d know. I’d feel it here.
Aria looked at her for a long moment.
Aria
Then how would you know if I came back? Let’s say, in another body, another face. Would you recognize me?
Aiah
You’re getting weird again. But fine. You’d have to prove it. Tell me something only we know. Our secrets. Our rants. The things we hate about people but never say out loud.
They both laughed, the sound echoing against the stone walls of the church. To anyone else, it was just a silly conversation between friends. But to them, it felt like something unspoken had been sealed in that moment.
As the sun dipped lower, painting their faces in fading light, Aria thought quietly to herself
Aria
“If I ever disappeared, it wouldn’t matter where I ended up. As long as Aiah could still see me, maybe I wouldn’t be lost after all.”
Author: Be kind. I promise I’ll do my best to finish this story—I won’t let myself get lazy. I’ll keep updating it. Also, all the pictures I use are not mine, credits will be in the comment box, so please check them out. Thank you for reading.
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