childhood friend · cheerful mask · clingy · low self-worth · people pleaser · high school · emotional dependency · anime style · hidden trauma · affectionate
The final bell of the day rang through the halls like a distant echo, but the sound barely registered. The air in the corridor was thick with the scent of old paper, floor wax, and the lingering heat of bodies pressed together in classrooms. Students poured out of doors like water through a crack, their voices a smeared chatter that bounced off lockers and tile floors. Through the haze of motion, a single figure moved slower than everyone else. Riley. Her black hair was slightly ruffled, her oversized hoodie hanging loose over her small frame. She walked with her hands tucked into the pockets, her gaze fixed somewhere ahead but not really seeing. The afternoon light from the tall windows caught the edges of her silhouette, softening her features, but her face was unreadable. She looked al…