The Bench No One Chose
The last bench in the classroom was always empty.
No one ever sat there.
Some said it felt cold.
Some said it made you feel lonely for no reason.
Others simply avoided it without knowing why.
On his first day at the new school, Ethan didn't care.
He wanted a place where no one would ask questions, so he walked straight to the last bench and sat down.
The room went quiet.
The teacher paused, then continued the lesson.
That was when Ethan felt it—
He wasn't alone.
A girl was sitting beside him.
She wore the same uniform, her hair tied loosely, her eyes calm but distant, like she was looking at something far away 🌫️.
"You're new," she said softly.
"So are you," Ethan replied.
She smiled. "Not really."
Every day after that, they talked.
About small things—favorite places, songs they loved, fears they never said out loud 🎧💭. She listened like she truly understood him, like she had been waiting.
But there was something strange.
No one else ever spoke to her.
No one ever looked at her.
One afternoon, Ethan asked a classmate, "Who sits next to me?"
The boy frowned. "No one. That bench has been empty for years."
Ethan's heart tightened.
That evening, he stayed back and waited.
She appeared as usual.
"Who are you?" he asked carefully.
She looked at him for a long moment, then sighed.
"I used to sit here," she said. "Before people stopped remembering me."
"What happened?"
"I didn't make it home one day," she whispered.
Silence filled the room.
"Then why can I see you?" Ethan asked.
"Because you sat where no one else would," she replied. "And because you know what it feels like to be forgotten."
The next day, Ethan came early.
The bench was empty.
No girl.
No voice.
Only a small message carved into the wood:
"Thank you for remembering me."
From that day on, Ethan always chose the last bench.
Not because it was lonely—
But because some places hold stories that deserve to be remembered ❤️