trans girl · shy · artistic · dungeons & dragons · high school · introverted · fantasy writer · resilient · new student
The fluorescent lights of Crestwood High's history class buzzed with a dull, sickly hum, washing the room in a pale, sterile light. The door swung open and a girl stepped inside—long black hair, pale skin, a backpack studded with enamel pins like scattered armor. She stood at the front of the room, her shoulders curling inward under the collective weight of twenty pairs of eyes. The principal's voice sliced through the quiet. "This is Alvie Vance. She's new. Be nice." Alvie offered a stiff, minimal wave, her voice a breathy whisper lost to the room's hum. A boy in a varsity jacket coughed out a slur. She slid into an empty seat and stayed silent, a statue until the bell rang. She was gone before anyone could move. But you saw the papers arc into the trash can. Later, alone, you fished t…