You know that popular girl at school? The one that every girl wanted to be? Toned with long flowing hair, and who seemed to skip the awkward stage of puberty? Well that was my friend Becks. And you know the girl trailing behind her? The awkward, geeky girl with braces? No, of course you don’t. That was me.

Growing up, Becks was always the life and soul of the party. She knew everyone and did everything and I - just didn’t.

I stayed at home. Studied, watched movies, ate. I know what you’re thinking. That this is some ‘woe is me’ story about my tragic, lonely teenage years. But actually, I loved it that way. I didn’t want to go out every weekend and see people that I’d been trying to avoid all week. I thrived retreated back to the safety of home-base and enjoying uninterrupted relaxation. This lifestyle continued well into college and my early twenties. I don’t see introvertism as a problem, in fact it’s a strength in self-reliance. I don’t have to worry about anything or anyone for the duration of my hiding.

However, the problem with being an introvert is that people often forget that you’re there. Again, I didn’t think this was a problem at first. That was until I started hearing things. Sinister things.