There was once a girl named Lila who had a rare and strange condition; she was allergic to water.
Just a sip would make her face swell painfully, and even touching it could make her skin break out in angry red patches.
Her mother, who had seen her suffer too many times, made sure she stayed far away from water. Lila never drank it, never swam in it, and never bathed in it. Instead, her mother gave her sweet, fresh watermelon juice to drink, and even to bathe in.
Lila didn’t mind the taste of watermelon juice, but she often wished she could be like everyone else.
At school, she watched her classmates drink cold glasses of water after sports or dive happily into the swimming pool. They knew she couldn’t drink water, and they were kind enough not to tease her about it, but they didn’t know the full truth about how serious it really was. They didn’t know she couldn’t touch it at all.
One day, the whole school was buzzing with excitement. There was going to be a big sports tournament, and every student had to take part. Lila played her best, laughing with her friends and enjoying the games. By the end of the day, everyone was hot, sweaty, and ready to wash up.
“We’re all hitting the showers!” one of her friends announced.
Lila’s stomach twisted. She didn’t want to be the only one who didn’t join in. For once, she wanted to blend in, to be normal. So, she stayed quiet and followed the others into the changing room.
When it was her turn, she stepped under the spray and turned on the water.
The moment it touched her skin, her body flared red. Her face puffed up, her arms itched, and she gasped in pain. But her classmates didn’t understand; they panicked. With her swollen face and blotchy skin, her friends immediately assumed that an intruder had come into the shower room.
Shouting, they rushed toward what they thought was a monster, trying to “fight” against it.
It was only when she fell to the floor, too weak to move, that they finally stopped and looked closely. This wasn’t a monster. It was Lila. Their friend.
Later, when she recovered, Lila told them everything about her condition.
They apologized, and from that day on, they understood why she couldn’t join certain activities, and they respected her for it.
Lila also learned one important thing: hiding who you are to fit in can sometimes hurt more than telling the truth.
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