Every thing and Nothing

12: Invisible Laughter

The laughter was echoing, reverberating off the walls. It was singing in everyone's ears and bringing smiles to everyone's faces. Except one. The girl stood at the back of the room watching as her 'friends' laughed at something else, most probably another inside joke, she gave a awkward strained smile. As soon as she knew no one was looking her face slipped back into the grimace that had lately become acquainted with her face. She didn't fit in with them, she was different and more than often invisible. So when she smiled at small things like jokes she thought in her head or the joke in the recent book she was reading, no one heard her. No one heard her hysterical laughter bouncing off her bedroom walls. No one saw her smile and dance with her mirror reflection to the songs on her playlist. No one saw her laughing at the funny faces she pulled and the texts she wanted to send. But most of all no one saw her smile slipping off when another 'friend' ignored her or explained that "she wouldn't understand" or her personal favourite "don't worry" and then they wondered why she didn't spend time with them, holed up listening to the same songs as they did and sending the same snapchats. No one would hear her joyful laughter turn bitter or her fingers itching to send something back to just be involved, but she was better, she didn't have to fit in. So she sent back jokes only she understood, she laughed out loud to herself when everyone else could hear. She broke the room with her bright smiles and she then told them "don't worry, you wouldn't understand" she watches their smiles fall and then she reminded herself - 'Now they understand'
Her invisible laughter echoed and reverberated against the walls and now people could tell she was laughing when her eyes sparkled and now they ached to know the joke.

-Esha Dev