The Invisible Barrier

Lexile: 950 | Grade: 8

Passage

Jasmine sat at her usual table in the library during lunch, her nose buried in a thick novel. Around her, conversations buzzed, but she remained a silent observer. She didn’t mind being alone—it gave her space to think, to read, to breathe.

Then one day, a new student, Mateo, wandered into the library looking lost. He scanned the room and hesitated before walking over to her table. 'Mind if I sit here?' he asked.

Jasmine looked up, surprised. 'Sure,' she replied, moving her bag aside. They sat in silence at first, Jasmine reading, Mateo sketching in a notebook. But gradually, small conversations began to fill the quiet space. Mateo asked about the book she was reading; Jasmine asked about his drawings.

Over the next few weeks, their lunchtime ritual became routine. Word spread, and others started joining their table—first a shy poetry enthusiast, then a girl who composed music on her phone, then a boy who coded video games. Their table, once silent, now hummed with creativity and acceptance.

Jasmine realized something unexpected: by allowing someone in, she hadn’t lost her solitude—she had expanded it to include others who had been invisible, just like she once was.