Falling behind
He knows he shouldn't compare himself to others, but he can't stop. All he sees are people who have more than him, never those with less. It's like a sickness inside him, this jealousy.
At night, when the world is quiet, he lies awake, his mind racing. He's desperate to find that missing piece, to figure out where he went wrong.
He dreams of the day when he can look back and be proud of how far he's come. But for now, all he feels is the pain of being left behind.