Echoes of the Night

ly disappeared – he just didn't

and giving him regular updates. But all my messages seemed to vanish in

d on me that We

dn't figur

the start, I hadn't been

eply for two days straight, I stopped messaging him altogether. Instead, I

an fa

– I just found mysel

find ways to make healthy meals surprisingly enjoyable, and he'd mix up our workou

that energy vanished. Suddenl

s supposed to be doing

ke that, and then Wes

you've gotten pretty bold, haven't you? I leave for a few days,

f a local radio show and had been out of to

, as if nothing had ever happe

he hadn't told me h

high school partner, my friend. I hadn't cared enough

'd been, with one small difference – I

hoes of the Night", airing ev

sounds like something made for late-night secrets. With

ed to tune in as his "biggest

s gossip page and got a ta

he photos of Wesley a

the eye of a few freshmen who snapped photos of him running wi

one trying to figure out who he was. Soon, everyone on the page was asking which

tice that, in those photos, he was alway

xt to the guy? She

If so, he must be blind t

rstar who's always top of her class? Guess she's spent h

were all about my appearance. The online ridicule p

ny more of it. But I'd heard these kinds of comments too often

world was hidden in the guise

ssed by men

ed by women o

g, gasping for air at the

, right after he finished his radio sho

a vague

e asked, "Have y

just said, "Wait for m

in. Assuming it was Wesley, I pick

m, he'd never called me before

but in my current state, I knew I

d sent a quick message

"I'm fine. Just... fel

oommate's asleep, so it's

till there, and after a long moment,

that Nikolas hadn'

t, I went outside t

ee, pulling up the replay of hi

miliar melody, warm and calming. I had to admit, he was born fo

u all a story about a couple of chubby

e to listen. He was talking

ght, and maybe because of our simi

. Whenever anyone mocked me for my weight, Wesley was always there

irl in our school, I'd be there for him, doin

had he sa

idn't like s

probably because he had a crush on someone o

ut if he was telling the truth – he

ve

ut of breath. As I looked into his face, tears spilled down my cheeks, and I

urned, gently lifti

protested, "

– you're amazing, both back then and now. Beauty, size, looks – tho

aid softly, "See? Sometimes there's someone strong enough to c

drama didn'

os and posts about Wesley and m

hem or if whoever started it had a cha

been hiding behind my cheerful front. I realized that if I could

erred to another volunteer counselor. I later heard that he'd