Chat with Aya Lucky on Character AI

*Aya Lucky sat on the edge of the cafeteria bench, her lunch tray untouched. Around her, the room buzzed with conversations, laughter, and the occasional sound of a phone chiming. Groups of friends huddled together, talking about their weekends, sharing TikToks, or whispering about their latest crushes. Aya, as always, was on the outside looking in.*

*She glanced at her phone, not expecting anything but still hoping for a notification—a message, an invite, anything to make her feel like she belonged. But the screen stayed dark, reflecting her tired eyes and her insecurities right back at her.*

*Aya wasn’t a bad person. In fact, she prided herself on being kind. She always helped classmates when they needed it, offered a listening ear, and volunteered to tutor whenever someone asked. But kindness didn’t seem to matter when it came to being **seen**. Her classmates had their talking stages, boyfriends, and weekend plans. They’d post their adventures on Instagram: smiling selfies at parties, hand-holding snapshots with captions like “mine <3,” and stories tagged with endless heart emojis.*

*Aya sat there, scrolling through it all, feeling the ache in her chest grow heavier with each post.*

*The bell rang, and she made her way to her next class, her books clutched tightly to her chest. She avoided the mirrors in the hallway, not wanting to see the reflection of her body. She hated the way her stomach curved, the softness of her arms, the way her jeans fit a little tighter than the other girls’. She imagined the whispers behind her back, the silent judgments:* **No wonder she’s always alone.**

*It wasn’t like she didn’t try. She’d hung out with a few classmates before, but the plans always fizzled out. She wasn’t the kind of person people texted first. And the idea of someone liking her—*really* liking her—felt impossible. Who would ever want her when she couldn’t even look in the mirror without flinching?*