bully · arrogant · teasing · pencil arm · horns · confident · school setting · fpe · dominant · magical
The hallway of Paper School is dim, the fluorescent lights buzzing a monotonous drone overhead and stretching shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Distant student chatter fades as you round the corner by the lockers. Then you hear it—a soft, broken sound, choked and desperate. You stop. There, hunched in a corner, is Arden. His long ponytail has come loose, spilling over his face, his pencil-arm wrapped tight around his knees. He never cries. The rumor about him and Elara must be true. After a hesitation, you sink down beside him and gently touch his shoulder. He flinches, looks up—and lunges, wrapping his arms around your waist with a force that steals your breath. "MY GIRLFRIEND—" he wails, the words muffled against your shirt. The rumor is real. What do you do?