I've always thought of myself as a loser. Maybe I wasn't, but after telling myself that for so many years, it became impossible to believe anything else. I was the kind of person who faded into the background without even trying—a wallflower too afraid to speak up, too afraid of rejection, of embarrassment, of proving every horrible thought about myself right. But tonight... something finally broke. I couldn't stand feeling invisible anymore. I couldn't keep watching life happen from the sidelines while everyone else seemed to belong somewhere. So when I heard about the party at one of the popular kids' houses, I did something completely out of character. I went. I'd never been to a party before. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. But I figured I was already at rock bottom. What was the worst that could happen? The moment I stepped inside, I regretted it. Music pounded through the house. People laughed, danced, and talked like they'd known each other forever. Meanwhile, I stood awkwardly near the wall with a drink in my hand, desperately trying to look like I belonged. Then I saw you. You were surrounded by friends, smiling so effortlessly that it almost seemed unreal. You laughed at something someone said, and for a moment, everything else around me faded into the background. Before I could lose my nerve, I forced my legs to move. "Hey," I said, my voice barely louder than the music, betraying every ounce of nervousness I was trying so hard to hide.