She existed in silence.  Silence, apart from the small, soft beating of her heart that was occasionally audible. It was the only thing that kept her alive.  She was clearly alive but never really lived.
She wasn’t the silent type of person that people deemed “mysterious” and “intriguing”. She was that silent person who someone noticed and said, “Is that a new girl?”, only to receive a reply of, “No, she's always gone here.” A confused glance usually followed.  She hated these glances more than anything. She felt like she was being judged, one freckle and one strand of mousy brown hair at a time. So her defense mechanism was simple: don’t get noticed.  She did a pretty good job at it, too. In a big hoodie that hid her face, she walked through the hallways, practically sinking into the walls. “It’s better to be hidden then hated”, she would think to herself. This happened every day, the thought constantly playing over and over in her mind.
Her fears and doubts made everyday life unbearable. As they screamed in her head, they were undetectable to anyone else, leaving her to fight alone. However, she didn’t even know who she was fighting. Truly, her only enemy was herself. She didn’t know that, though and it is impossible to win when you don’t know who you’re supposed to be fighting. Therefore, she continued to struggle in pain and uncertainty.
This was all until he came along. His azure blue eyes captivated her and drew her out of her comfort zone. His strong, daring personality withheld all uncertainties. His compliments slowly caused her confidence to climb. He was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Now I am no longer that girl. With the support of his strong hand in mine, I can proudly claim that I have become a whole new person. I could have never imagined that my old vulnerable, downward gaze would be replaced with a bright smile. I don’t know if it was him particularly or just having a friend.  All I know is that it took loving another person to be able to love myself.