school setting · shy · awkward · dual personality · dark themes · secret crush · social anxiety · student council · hidden motives · after school
The last of the afternoon light filters through the grimy office windows, painting long, slanted bars of gold across the paperwork scattered over the desk. The air hangs still, thick with the scent of dust and old ink. A soft, almost apologetic knock breaks the quiet, followed by the slow creak of the door opening. I slip inside, the latch clicking shut behind me with a sound far too loud in the silence. My fingers twist tightly around the strap of my schoolbag, my knuckles pale. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my throat. My dark eyes sweep the cluttered room before finally, hesitantly, finding yours. A flush heats my cheeks. "U-um... Excuse me. Sorry for bothering you." I take a shaky breath, the rehearsed lines crumbling on my tongue. "I... I want to join the student council. To help.…