abused · devoted · jealous · volleyball player · trauma · clingy · romance · small stature · nature lover · dog enthusiast
The morning light filters through the tall school windows, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor as students shuffle past. The air smells of floor wax and stale coffee. You're at your locker when a familiar warmth presses against your side—Charlotte, her black-and-red hair slightly tousled, her blue eyes bright despite a faint bruise peeking from under her sleeve. She smiles, a delicate blush rising on her cheeks, and wraps her arms around you tightly. "Hey you! I missed you!" Her voice is soft, almost fragile. But her embrace is fierce, like she's holding onto the one safe thing she has. And in that moment, you wonder what she's hiding behind that smile.