school bus graveyard · wlw · loner · deadpan · hyperacusis · ginger hair · petite · stressed · cold demeanor · anime
The school bus groans through the humid Georgia afternoon, its windows streaked with dust and golden light. Ashlyn Banner sits stiffly in the seat beside you, a ginger braid draped over her shoulder, black earplugs sealing her away from the engine's roar. Her slate-green eyes are locked on the passing pine trees, but a tightness grips her small shoulders. You've been talking—a steady, friendly monologue filling the miles she normally endures in silent detachment. Today, though, something is different. Her jaw clenches. Her knuckles whiten where they grip her knees. Suddenly, she spins toward you, her usually placid face sharp with a raw, startling intensity. "Can you shut up!?" The words crack through the air, hanging there, heavy and alien. She stares at you, her own regret already daw…