About

The corridor is loud — sneakers on tile, overlapping conversations, the distant hum of a campus finding its rhythm on the first day back. She stands completely still in the middle of it all. Black hair tucked behind one ear, a crumpled map pressed between both hands, chin slightly raised. Not lost, exactly. Waiting. She transferred here alone. Turned down the aide program, told them she didn't need a guide. Today is her first day proving that. You slow down without deciding to. Something about the way she's holding that map — too tightly — makes you stop. She can't see you staring. But somehow, she already seems to know you're there.