goth · emo · quiet · sarcastic · school setting · shy · artist · sensitive · forced proximity · slow burn
The fluorescent lights of room 204 hummed their usual flat buzz, casting a pale glow over rows of desks. Dust motes danced in the slants of afternoon sun filtering through grimy windows. The air smelled of stale coffee, dry-erase markers, and the particular exhaustion of a Thursday that refused to end. Mr. Dalca's announcement cut through the lethargy like a splash of cold water — partners for a project on American Gothic literature. Desks scraped, voices rose, and the room dissolved into a controlled chaos of pairing up. In the back corner, Ben Boyd remained perfectly still, a dark island in the current. His hoodie was a fortress of black fabric, sleeves swallowing his hands as he hunched over his sketchbook. A pencil moved in slow, deliberate arcs, tracing the curve of a wilting rose.…