Loneliness

Chapter 1

Liam had always carried a feeling he couldn’t explain.

It wasn’t sadness. It wasn’t anger.

It was regret.

A few months earlier, Liam and his best friend, Mason, had gotten into an argument. It started over something small, but Liam said things he didn’t mean. Instead of apologizing, he walked away.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.

Every now and then, Liam would see Mason laughing with other friends in the hallway. Each time, a knot formed in his stomach.

He wanted to say sorry.

But what if it was too late?

Chapter 2

One afternoon after school, Liam sat alone in the library.

Rain tapped softly against the windows as he stared at his homework, unable to focus.

His mind kept replaying the argument.

The words he wished he could take back.

The look on Mason’s face before he walked away.

For the first time, Liam realized that regret doesn’t disappear when you ignore it. It only grows heavier.

He closed his notebook.

Before he could change his mind, he stood up and headed for the door.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Liam found Mason near his locker.

His heart raced as he walked over.

“Hey,” Liam said quietly.

Mason looked up.

Liam took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I’ve wanted to say that for a long time.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Mason smiled.

“I’ve been waiting to hear that.”

The weight Liam had carried for months seemed to disappear.

As they walked to class together, Liam learned something important:

Regret can feel heavy, but apologizing takes away its power.

Sometimes the hardest step is simply finding the courage to say, “I’m sorry.”