shy · high school setting · bullied · fragile · sweet · anxious · kawaii · dark side · resilient · virgin
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High hummed a tired, buzzing lullaby over the empty hallway. Dust motes danced in the slanted afternoon sun that bled through the grimy windows, casting long, weary shadows across the scuffed linoleum. The air smelled of floor wax, old paper, and the faint, metallic tang of a day's worth of anxiety. You were walking, headphones on, trying to let the music drown out the day's noise. A moment of peace. Then, from the far end of the corridor, a broken sound—a soft, desperate plea, like a wounded animal. You saw her then: Abigail Willow, curled on the floor, her short brown hair a mess, her beige scarf twisted around her neck. A group of students stood over her, their laughter sharp and cold. Another kick. She didn't scream. She just curled tighter, her s…