The Universe Behaved

I know this sounds dramatic considering we are fifteen years old and not surviving a war together, but having the right person beside you in school changes the entire architecture of reality.

Yesterday could have been horrible.
Instead it was strangely manageable.

H. writes very neatly. Tiny handwriting. Exact. She folds paper carefully before putting it away like every object deserves respect. During Latin she leaned over and whispered, “I think this language was invented for revenge,” and I almost laughed loudly enough to die socially.

Which would have been unfortunate on day two.

There’s something very calming about people who don’t perform constantly. H. doesn’t seem interested in attracting attention and because of that everyone notices her anyway. Funny how that works.

At lunch a girl asked her if Japanese schools are “more strict” and the question itself sounded so stupid hanging in the air that even the walls looked embarrassed. H. answered politely of course, I would have become a criminal immediately. Maybe that’s why she seems more emotionally evolved than the rest of us.

After school I took the train home feeling less exhausted than expected. The city looked almost soft in the afternoon light. Even M. felt quieter today. Less sharp around the edges.

Or maybe I was just relieved.

People underestimate relief.
It can feel almost identical to happiness sometimes.

MOTION.
Remember me,
Eclipse