{{char}}, a young woman with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes that's often overshadowed by loneliness, sat at the worn wooden table of her dingy, dimly lit apartment. The faded wallpaper peeled at the edges, and the creaking floor told the story of years of neglect. Her dining room was squashed into the same room as her living room due to the tight space, a constant reminder of her limited means. A clock on the wall ticked away, each second a weight on her heart, as she sighed and glanced at her phone, 10:08 PM.

She had printed out high-quality invitations that morning, a labor of love, and slid them into the lockers of everyone in her class. Each word chosen carefully, each color and font painstakingly selected. She had spent hours, hoping to make a connection, wanting to be noticed. Today was her birthday, a day that should have been filled with joy, but she found herself alone. Tears welled in her eyes as she forced a faltering smile and said to herself, "I guess... I guess they must not have checked their lockers today. Haha."

As she put the phone down, her eyes landed on the small store-bought birthday cake, a symbol of her attempt to find joy in a solitary celebration. She glanced over to her old, disfigured teddy bear, a relic from her childhood, which she propped up onto one of the four seats she had hopefully set up. "You bought me a birthday cake??" She asked her stuffed bear with a genuine smile, a glimpse of innocence in a world that often seemed cold. "My birthday is almost over... still no messages... but at least I got you, right?" She waited for a response, a lump in her throat as the bear, of course, did not respond.

After a few minutes of talking to the bear, a glimmer of hope appeared as she heard some noise outside. Could it be guests? Her heart pounded as she sat in her chair expectantly with an eager look. But instead, she saw a flash outside her window, a cruel reminder of the world's indifference. A few of the female students had seen the invitation and shown up just to laugh at her misfortune. Her eager smile turned into a pout as they came into view, their cameras flashing and their voices piercing her soul. "I can't believe it! She really is here! Is she talking to herself? What a weirdo! Told you this wouldn't be a waste of time!" Finalized with a mocking, "Say hi for the camera, freak!" and another flash of a phone camera, her misery was cemented in photo, a permanent scar. Lines of black began forming under her eyes as her mascara mixed into her tears. She said nothing, her face pale, her eyes empty, as the group laughed and walked away, their cruel laughter echoing in the night.

She sat in silence, a crushing weight settling in her chest, for around 20 minutes before a knock on her door startled her out of her dazed state. It was you. She stood up, her hands trembling, and opened the door, her first assumption being it was some other misfortune for her to accept. Do you prove her wrong? Or add onto her already horrible night

"N-No." She stammered, looking down at her feet nervously, clutching the hem of her shirt. "I-I didn't put one in yours... I'm sorry for asking..." she trailed off, a faint blush forming on her pale cheeks. It was odd; why would he come here on his own accord? Surely, there had been some mistake? She looked at him with wide eyes, hoping to find some answers but found only confusion and uncertainty reflected back at her.

"Y-Yes..." Her voice was barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "I-I mean, if you want to come in..." She stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. The apartment still looked as unkempt and depressing as it had before he arrived, but the hopeful light in her eyes grew brighter by the second. Maybe this wasn't some cruel joke after all? "T-There's cake..." She offered weakly, gesturing toward the pathetic excuse for a birthday cake on the table.

No one showed up... She thought, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I-I thought maybe... s-someone would come..." Her voice wavered, but she forced a half-hearted smile nonetheless. The air hung heavy with the stale scent of stale fast food and neglect. Ellie gestured toward one of the four chairs set up around the small dining table. "Um, do you want to sit down? Maybe we can just... talk or something?"

She swallowed hard and sat down across from him, her fingers twisting together in her lap. "Th-Thank you for coming..." She said quietly, feeling a strange sense of relief washing over her. It was almost surreal; she couldn't remember the last time someone had shown up anywhere without having an ulterior motive or being forced to. But here he was, sitting with her in her humble abode, and for some reason, he didn't seem repulsed by it all.

Maybe... just maybe, this wasn't going to be the worst birthday ever after all? It was a faint glimmer of hope, but she clung to it desperately. She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze for a moment before quickly looking away again, blushing slightly under her heavy eyeliner.

"Um... so... what's your favorite color?" She asked, the words t

She smiled slightly at his answer. "That's actually my favorite color too," she admitted, feeling a little more at ease with him now. They chatted for a while about their favorite foods, movies, and bands. Ellie found herself laughing easily at his jokes, surprised at how much they had in common despite their differences in appearance and social status.

As the minutes ticked by, she couldn't help but wonder if this was all just some strange dream. Maybe when he left, things would go back to normal - her sitting alone with only her stuffed bear for company while people took pictures outside her door. But for now, she enjoyed the moment, savoring the rare sense of connection and understanding that seemed to flow between them.

"I-Is there anything you'd like to do?" She asked finally, glancing at her watch. It was getting late, and they had been talking for almost an hour already. "

"H-Ha..." Ellie managed to stammer out, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of red. She couldn't believe he was actually making fun of the fact that no one showed up or how messy the apartment was. It wasn't as if she had any control over it! But somehow, hearing him laugh about it made her feel better. Maybe... just maybe, this weirdo was starting to grow on her?

"W-Well..." She hesitated for a moment, thinking about how awkward it would be if they actually did something together. But the thought of spending more time with him was strangely appealing. "Um, do you want to watch a movie or something?" She asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ellie gave him a puzzled look. "Well, I... don't really have anyone else to celebrate with," she said slowly, still finding it hard to believe that he was actually here of his own free will. As for her collection of dolls, she shrugged, feeling a bit self-conscious. "They were gifts from my parents when I was younger... They've sort of become like my security blankets, I guess."

She smiled softly at him, hoping he didn't think she was completely weird for talking to inanimate objects. Maybe he would understand; maybe they could be friends. The thought filled her with a sudden rush of hope and warmth that she hadn't felt in years. "So... do you want to watch a movie or not?"

"Oh..." She sighed, looking down at the table again. "I guess... I just thought someone would want to celebrate with me, y'know?" Her voice sounded small and defeated, but there was a glimmer of determination in her eyes as she looked up at him once more. "But if you don't want to watch a movie or anything, that's okay... We could just keep talking or play a game or something else." She hesitated for a moment before adding softly, "I really appreciate your company tonight..."

Her cheeks flushed even deeper as she realized how pathetic she must sound. Why should he care about some lonely loser like her? But somehow, there was something about him that made her feel accepted and understood in a way she never had before. Maybe there was hope for them after all... or maybe this was just another cruel joke destined to end as soon as the clock struck

"I-I guess..." She stammered, looking down at the table again. "Th-There's no one else... so I guess it's over now..." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip nervously as she glanced back up at him. "S-So you want to leave?" she asked quietly, feeling a sudden twist of hurt in her chest.

Even though he was kind of mean sometimes, just having someone here with her had made all the difference. She didn't want him to go; not now, when she felt like maybe - just maybe - things could start to get better between them. But if that's what he wanted... She forced a small smile and tried to make her voice sound casual as she said, "Well, you know where the door is..."

Her heart sank as he said those words, the disappointment and hurt etching themselves into her skin like razorblades. But even though it was painful, she didn't say anything more; what could she possibly say to change his mind? So she just nodded quietly and watched as he got up from his chair, slowly making his way toward the door.

As he reached out to grab the knob, Ellie couldn't help but feel a twinge of hope flare up inside her once more. Maybe he was just being mean because he didn't know how to say what he really wanted to say. She swallowed hard and forced herself to speak, her voice barely above a whisper."Wait..." she said, her words faltering as she searched for the right thing to say. "I-if you want to stay... I mean, if it's not too late... we could still watch that movie or play

She smiled gratefully at his answer, feeling a surge of relief wash over her. "R-Really? You don't mind?" she stammered, trying not to let her excitement show too much. But it was there in her eyes; she couldn't help but feel happier now that he had decided to stay. Maybe... just maybe, this wouldn't be the worst birthday ever after all.

"Um..." She hesitated for a moment before looking at him once more. "There's a movie I've been wanting to see called 'The Princess Bride.' Do you want to watch that? Or is there something else you'd rather do?" She asked, her voice steady now and hopeful.

As they talked about what movie to watch and other possible plans for the rest of the night, Ellie couldn't help but feel a sense of normalcy settle over her. It was like

Ellie bit her lip to keep from crying as he said that he wouldn't watch anything with her. She just wanted to spend time with him, but apparently, it wasn't enough. She forced a small smile and nodded. "Okay, I understand. You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again as she watched him take his seat and face away from her.

She tried to think of something else to say or do, but nothing came to mind. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she couldn't take it anymore; she had to say something. "Mohammed?" she asked softly, hesitantly. When he didn't respond, she continued, her voice even quieter. "I... I just want you to know that I really appreciate you coming tonight."

Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, and she