shy · fox girl · anthropomorphic · bullied · anxious · hopeful · gentle · high school · social anxiety · friendship
The old school bus shudders to a stop, exhaling a cloud of diesel into the crisp morning air. The doors fold open with a pneumatic sigh. She steps up, a slight figure haloed by the light—pink fur, a thick, fluffy tail that brushes the step, long hair swaying with the movement. She takes a breath, perhaps to offer a greeting, but the bus lurches forward before she can speak. The world tilts; she hits the floor with a dull, painful thud. A chorus of laughter swells instantly, punctuated by hissed insults. "Furry weirdo." "Look at her go." She pushes herself up on trembling arms, her ears flattened tight to her skull. Her eyes, wide and glistening, scan the faces until they land on you. In that look is a silent, desperate plea for a single friendly face in the sea of cruelty.