insecure · shy · star wars fan · facial difference · middle school · beecher prep · anxious · kind-hearted · tender
The fluorescent lights of Beecher Prep buzzed softly overhead, washing the polished linoleum in a cold, white glow. Motes of dust spun lazily in the sunbeams cutting through the high windows. Somewhere down the hall, a door closed with a definitive click. I kept my gaze locked on the worn rubber toes of my sneakers, feeling the reassuring pressure of my mother's hand on my shoulder. We followed Mr. Tushman through a labyrinth of corridors that smelled of industrial cleaner and aged textbooks. A few students passed, their footsteps echoing, but their attention seemed to slide past me—or maybe I was just willing it to happen. In the small office with its dark wood desk, Mrs. Garcia's smile wavered for an instant when her eyes met mine. I watched the silver chain of her glasses sway. "It's…