I stared at Jerry, sitting quietly at the edge of the group, a strange quietness in his posture. There was something about him — something that didn't quite belong here. Sure, he was Canadian, but it felt like more than that. He was different. He didn't really blend with us — no matter how hard he tried.
The project was supposed to bring everyone together, but Jerry just... didn't fit. It wasn't his accent or the way he dressed. It was the way he seemed out of place even when he was sitting next to us. A part of me wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay to let go of whatever it was that kept him so distant. But another part of me wondered if I should just let him be. People like him, people like Jerry, didn't really open up. Maybe it was his past, or maybe he was just naturally isolated. I didn't know. I didn't care much either.
I glanced over at Ivy, who was lost in her phone. She barely ever paid attention to anything, but when she did, it felt like she was the one calling the shots. Ivy's focus was her own. She didn't care about fitting in, either. But there was an unmistakable confidence in the way she carried herself that made her impossible to ignore.
Next to me, Amelia was calmly reading her textbook, occasionally checking her phone. Amelia didn't have to talk much. When she spoke, her words carried weight. Her presence felt like an anchor, even in the chaos of our class.
I looked around the room, at the faces I knew well. Theo was chatting with Jack, laughing too loudly as usual. Rose was talking to Oliver, her voice sugary-sweet, though it never quite seemed genuine. They were all part of the group now, all with their own power, their own confidence. And there I was — standing apart, watching them from the sidelines.
---
At least I knew how to deal with it. Being in the middle of two worlds was normal for me. Korean and Japanese blood ran through my veins, but I was born here. I fit in with the Westerners, yet I couldn't help but feel out of place. They had their own way of living, their own worldviews. Sometimes, I felt like I wasn't quite Asian enough for them, and not Western enough for my peers.
But I was okay with that. Or at least, I tried to be.
My eyes drifted back to Jerry. He wasn't looking at me, or anyone else. His gaze was unfocused, distant. I had seen it before — the blank stare of someone who was battling something inside themselves, something they couldn't explain. But what was it? What was it about Jerry that made him feel like he was always standing on the outside, even when we were all together?
I couldn't help but think about the fractures. The little cracks in the world that no one else seemed to notice.
I wondered if it had something to do with Jerry.
---
I was brought out of my thoughts by Mia, who suddenly slammed her notebook onto the table. She didn't usually speak up in class, but when she did, everyone listened. She had this aura of someone who didn't care about the rules. And right now, she looked like she had something to say.
"Do you guys feel that?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Like something's... off? It's like the air is thick, or something is just... wrong."
I looked around, suddenly aware of the odd stillness that had crept into the room.
Even Ivy, who never paid attention, looked up from her phone.
"I feel it too," Ivy muttered, her usual nonchalance replaced with something I couldn't place.
I turned to Jack, and then Theo.
They looked at each other, as if they knew something was coming, but no one said it aloud. The energy in the room had shifted — everything was heavier.
---
As the bell rang, I gathered my things, my mind racing.
Something was happening.
And maybe, just maybe, Jerry was at the center of it all.