Chapter 12
The wind was stronger that morning, tugging at Julia's jacket as she walked to school. She clutched a small stack of folded paper birds to her chest—each one carried a message, just like her grandma used to leave for her on rainy days.
She had written them all the night before:
- "You are seen."
- "Kindness is never wasted."
- "Even quiet voices matter."
By the time she arrived at school, the sky was soft gray and full of drifting clouds. She met Amira at the gates. They smiled without saying much, their hands full of color.
Together, they slipped birds into lockers, behind books in the library, and even under the teacher's desk. No one knew it was them.
At lunch, they found a quiet bench. That's when a boy from Julia's class, named Kenzo, walked up slowly. He held a green paper bird in his hands.
"Did… did you two make these?" he asked.
Julia froze. Amira glanced at her, unsure.
Kenzo's voice was soft. "I just wanted to say thank you. I was having a really bad week. But this…" He held up the bird. "This helped."
Julia's throat tightened, but she nodded. "You're welcome."
He smiled shyly. "If you're okay with it… I'd like to help."
And just like that, their quiet little Paper Bird Club grew to three.
By the end of the week, there were nearly seven members.
The school felt lighter. There were fewer tears in the bathrooms. More smiles in the halls. Even the teachers started to notice the change—but no one could trace it to Julia and Amira. They didn't want credit. They just wanted to keep going.
At home, Julia opened her grandma's notebook again. There was a new note she hadn't seen before, stuck between the pages:
*"When the world is heavy, become the wind."*
Julia closed her eyes, feeling something stir in her chest.
Maybe she was still sad.
Maybe she still missed her grandma every single day.
But now, she had purpose.
And that… was a kind of happiness too.