my friends left me out

My finger hovered over Instagram, moving through stories on autopilot, until one caught me. It was a clip from the beach—my friends, all together.

I hadn’t known there was a beach trip. No one had mentioned anything to me. The only reason I found out was this story, posted for everyone to see.

What made it feel worse was the night before. I had spent time with one of them, just the two of us. There was no mention of a plan, no hint that something was happening the next day that I wasn’t part of.

It wasn’t like this was a group I barely knew. I’d hung out with all of them before. I thought we were close enough that I’d be included if something like this came up.

But when I saw that story, it hit me that I was the only one missing. Not just forgotten, but excluded.

I haven’t said anything about it. I haven’t messaged anyone or asked what happened. I don’t know if I should bring it up or just act like I never saw it.

Now I’m just stuck, not knowing what to do, not sure where I stand. The story is still there on Instagram, and I keep replaying it in my mind, trying to make sense of why it happened and what I’m supposed to do next.