A fresh start

I woke up to the nightmare again.

Dad's screams echoed in my ears, pulling me from the dream like a lifeline. My breath came in ragged gasps as I clutched my blanket, trying to shake the images loose.

The room.

The blood.

The way he begged for help.

And me. Sitting in the corner, too scared to move. Too scared to save him.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the memory back into the dark corners of my mind. It was over. It was in the past.

Except it wasn't—not really.

The smell of dumplings drew me downstairs. Dad was at the stove, flipping something in a pan. He had his "chef face" on—focused, precise, but with a hint of a smile.

"Morning, kiddo," he said without turning around.

"Morning," I mumbled, sliding into my seat at the table.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Nightmare again?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

He sighed and set a plate of dumplings in front of me. "Eat up. First day of school—you need your energy."

I poked at a dumpling with my chopsticks, my appetite gone.

"Ava." Dad's voice softened as he sat across from me. "I know it's hard, but today's a fresh start. You'll meet people your age, make friends. It's what you've always wanted."

I looked up at him, his kind eyes crinkling at the corners. He wanted this so badly for me.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, managing a small smile.

Before I left, he handed me my headphones. "Don't forget these," he said. "Trust me, they'll help."

I rolled my eyes but took them anyway. He wasn't wrong—the constant buzz of thoughts in public spaces was easier to handle with music drowning it out.

The school was buzzing with activity when I arrived. I kept my headphones on as I navigated the noisy hallways, the hum of thoughts fading into the background.

By the time I reached my classroom, I felt a little braver.

The teacher wasn't there yet, but the class was already alive with chatter. I found my seat near the window and tried to blend in.

That's when I noticed him.

The boy sitting next to me—Liam.

He wasn't new. I'd seen him before in passing, though we'd never spoken. He was one of those effortlessly popular kids, the kind who seemed to float through life with a permanent grin.

"Hey," he said, noticing me.

I froze, pulling my headphones off. "Hi."

"I'm Liam," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"I know," I blurted, then winced. "I mean, I've seen you around."

His grin widened. "Well, nice to officially meet you, Ava."

"How do you—" I started, then realized my name was probably on the seating chart. "Right. Nice to meet you too."

Liam was a talker. He spent the rest of the day cracking jokes and pulling me into conversations, even when I wasn't sure what to say.

By lunch, he'd already made me laugh more times than I could count. He wasn't just funny—he was clever, quick with comebacks that left everyone grinning.

But there was something else about him. Something I couldn't quite place.

It wasn't until I caught him staring at me during lunch that the feeling solidified.

"Something wrong?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

He blinked, like he'd been caught off guard, then shrugged. "Nope. Just zoned out."

I nodded, but my stomach twisted. That look—it reminded me of someone.

The rest of the day flew by. Liam walked out of the building with me after the last bell, chatting about random things.

"So," he said, "first day verdict?"

"Not bad," I admitted. "Better than I expected."

"That's the spirit," he said with a grin.

We reached the corner where he turned off, and he waved before jogging away. "See you tomorrow, Ava!"

"See you," I called after him, my chest tight with something I couldn't name.

When I got home, Dad was already prepping for the dinner rush at the restaurant.

"How was it?" he asked, not looking up from his chopping.

"It was... good," I said, setting my bag down.

"Good, huh?" He gave me a sly smile. "Meet anyone interesting?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing an apple from the counter. "This guy, Liam. He's... different."

Dad paused, glancing at me. "Different how?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Just... different."

Dad nodded thoughtfully. "Well, different's not bad. Just keep your headphones close, okay?"

"Okay, Dad," I said, heading to my room.

As I closed the door behind me, Liam's face flashed in my mind.

That grin. That confidence.

And the silence.

Why couldn't I hear his thoughts?