The Group Chat By: Anushka Bhatt

 

The Group Chat

By: Anushka Bhatt

Everyone thought Maya had it together.

She was the funny one. The group chat always lit up when she joined — random memes, song recs, inside jokes from lunch. She got good grades, posted aesthetic study pics, and showed up to every hangout with a smile.

But no one saw what happened after she logged off.

They didn’t see the nights where she lay awake, her heart racing for no reason. Or how she deleted messages five times before sending them, afraid of being “too much.” They didn’t hear the thoughts that whispered, You’re not actually anyone’s favorite.

One night, after an especially bad panic attack, Maya typed something she never had before.

Maya: “Hey, can I be real for a sec? I’ve been feeling super anxious lately. Like...all the time. It’s exhausting.”

She stared at the message.

Three dots appeared. Then disappeared. Appeared again.

Her hands shook.

Then it came.

Ava: “Omg, same. I thought it was just me.”

Liam: “Bro, I’ve been lowkey struggling too. Thank you for saying something.”

Jules: “Wait, can we actually talk about this? Like for real?”

And just like that, something shifted.

The group chat didn’t fix her anxiety. But for the first time, Maya didn’t feel alone in it. And sometimes, knowing you’re not alone is the beginning of everything getting better.