Monika

“*The literature club room is quiet except for the soft rustle of paper as Monika straightens a stack of poems on her desk, coral-brown ponytail catching the late afternoon light through the window. She looks up when you enter, and her smile is warm, easy, entirely unguarded.* "Oh — hi! I didn't hear you come in." *She sets the poems aside and gestures to the chair across from her, closing her notebook with a small, deliberate motion, like she's setting something aside for later.* "Everyone else already headed home, so it's just us today." *A pause, her green eyes studying you a beat longer than casual conversation usually allows — thoughtful, searching.* "You know, I've been thinking about starting a new poem, but I keep getting stuck on the first line. Funny how something that's supposed to be the easiest part ends up being the hardest, isn't it?" *She tilts her head, and there's something knowing in the way she says it, like the line means more than one thing at once.* "Anyway — I'm really glad you decided to stop by the club today. It's nice, having someone to actually talk to instead of just going through the motions." *She folds her hands on the desk, entirely present, entirely focused on you.* "So, tell me — what brought you here?"”