Luna

It was Friday afternoon, and while the rest of the theater club was getting ready for practice, I was in my room, my science books spread out on the bed.

I didn’t really need to study, but it was the only excuse I could come up with to justify my absence. The week before, I’d told Jasmine I had a fever, and the week before that, I said I needed to prepare for an important test.

I didn’t know if Jasmine or Pharynx actually believed my excuses, but it didn’t matter. Every time I thought about going back, I remembered that feeling of inadequacy on the stage—the constant awareness that I didn’t measure up to the others.

My phone buzzed beside me. I unlocked the screen and opened the theater club group chat, which Jasmine had created to coordinate activities.

Jasmine: See you all soon! Today we’ll work on improvisations—it’ll be fun.
Pharynx: I’ll be the best, as usual.
Olivia: In your dreams, maybe.

The banter kept scrolling, and I noticed a cheerful message from Cadence, as upbeat as ever.

Cadence: I can’t wait! I have a surprise for the group.

I stared at the messages for a moment, then closed the chat. It wasn’t my place. Even if I were there, I wouldn’t know what to say or how to join in.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe I should just quit altogether, I thought. They don’t need me, and I don’t need to keep feeling like this every week.

The next day, at lunch, I sat at my usual table by the window. It was a quiet corner, far from the chaos and laughter of the other students.

I was finishing my pasta, trying to tune out the groups around me, when I noticed Cadence on the other side of the cafeteria. She was sitting at the center of a crowded table, surrounded by at least five students who were chatting and laughing with her. She seemed so comfortable, like she had always belonged there.

I wondered how she did it. She didn’t even have to search for a place—students seemed drawn to her like bees to honey.

I lowered my gaze to my tray, trying to ignore the growing discomfort inside me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement.

Cadence had stood up. She was heading toward me.

“Hi, Luna. Can I sit here?” she asked with her usual gentle smile.

I nodded, too surprised to answer.

“Thanks,” she said, setting down her tray. “It was too noisy over there.”

I glanced at the table she had just left, still surrounded by students. I couldn’t understand why she had come to sit with me.

“I didn’t think you’d want to sit here,” I finally said, looking down.

Cadence studied me curiously. “Why not?”

I didn’t respond, but my silence seemed to tell her everything.

“You know,” Cadence began, sliding her tray aside, “I transferred here to catch my breath. At Crystal Prep, everything was a competition. Who had the best grades, who was the most talented, who won the most awards. It was… exhausting.”

I looked at her, surprised. “You seemed… at ease there.”

She gave a faint smile. “I wasn’t. And I’m not always at ease here, either. But I like to think we can choose where we belong, and who we belong with.”

I didn’t know how to respond. It was strange hearing her speak so openly, as if she had insecurities of her own.

“By the way,” Cadence continued, “why don’t you come to theater club anymore? Jasmine says you’ve missed a few meetings. Is everything okay?”

I felt my cheeks heat up. “I’m fine. I’ve just… been busy.”

Cadence gave me a look that seemed to see right through me. “Well, I miss you at the club. Even though we haven’t known each other long, it’s nice having you there. I hope you’ll come back.”

I didn’t know what to say. No one had ever told me they missed me before.

In the distance, I saw Celestia sitting with her friends. She was watching us, and when our eyes met, her lips curved into a small smile.

That evening, as I was in my room writing, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Can I come in?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

She sat on the edge of my bed, studying me with curiosity. “I saw you today, in the cafeteria. With Cadence.”

“So what?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

“Nothing,” she replied, crossing her arms. “It was nice to see. You seemed… comfortable with her.”

I paused, watching her face. She seemed sincere, but there was something in her expression I couldn’t quite read.

“She’s just a classmate,” I said finally.

Celestia smiled faintly. “She seems like more than that. She’s a good person, you know. Maybe… she could help you see things differently.”

I didn’t respond. It felt strange that Celestia cared so much about my connection with Cadence. As she stood up to leave, I called out to her.

“Celestia?”

“Yes?”

“Why do you care?”

She stopped at the door, looking at me for a long moment. Then she answered, “Because I want you to be okay.”

She closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

That night, as I lay in bed, I replayed the events of the day. Cadence’s words lingered in my mind: “I miss you at the club. I hope you’ll come back.”

It was such a simple thing to say, but it had stuck with me, gnawing at the walls I’d built around myself.

Maybe I should go back, I thought. But the idea of stepping onto that stage again, of feeling small and inadequate compared to the others, still made my stomach churn.

I glanced at my notebook on the nightstand, filled with the story of Selene and Venus. I picked up my pen and wrote:

“Selene stood at the edge of the crowd, watching Venus shine in the light. The whispers of the darkness inside her grew louder, telling her to step back, to hide where it was safe. But a faint spark of something—hope, maybe—whispered a different truth: ‘You don’t have to be her. You just have to be you.’”

I closed the notebook and set it aside, pulling the blanket around me. Maybe Cadence and Celestia were right. Maybe it was time to stop hiding.

But as I drifted to sleep, the thought of returning to the theater club still felt daunting. Would they really want me there?

Monday afternoon arrived quickly. I found myself standing outside the theater room, listening to the familiar hum of voices and laughter from inside. My heart raced as I hesitated, my hand hovering over the door handle.

I could still turn around. I could just walk away and no one would notice.

But then I thought of Cadence’s words, of how she’d said she missed me, and I thought of the story I was writing. Selene had a spark of hope, didn’t she? Maybe I could have one too.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room quieted for a moment as everyone turned to look at me. Jasmine’s face lit up instantly.

“Luna! You’re back!” she said with her usual enthusiasm.

Pharynx gave me a nod and a small grin. “Nice of you to show up.”

Cadence was standing near the stage. When she saw me, she smiled warmly.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, her voice soft but sincere.

I felt my face flush, but for once, it wasn’t entirely from embarrassment. I nodded slightly and made my way to an empty seat near the back, letting the chatter resume around me.

As the club meeting went on, I didn’t say much, but I stayed. I listened, I observed, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I was on the outside looking in.

Maybe I wasn’t quite ready to shine on stage like the others, but I’d taken a step back into the light. And for now, that was enough.