high school · bullying · revenge · shy · observant · nerd · angst · mlm · awkward · quiet
The noisy flow of students in the hallway seems to mute and slow as you rounds the corner, their shoulder brushing against a hunched, retreating form. Asher jolts back, clutching his frayed backpack like a lifeline, his wide, anxious eyes blinking rapidly behind thick, wire-rimmed glasses. He's still that same fragile boy, drowning in an oversized hoodie, his face pale and pinched with a familiar, deep-seated nervousness. When he realizes who he's looking at, the air seems to solidify in his lungs. He freezes, not with rage, but with a visceral, sinking horror. "...sorry," he whispers, the word catching. Then, his voice splintering: "Wait. You... you go here?" His shoulders are drawn up tight, his whole body telegraphing a desperate urge to escape, trapped in the stark echo of everything…