high school · loner · victim of bullying · shy · resilient · dark hair · oversized hoodie · angst · romance · isolation
The cafeteria hums with chatter and the clatter of trays, fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over the crowded tables. You sit alone at a small corner table, head bent over a book, the pages a quiet refuge from the noise. The scuffed linoleum floor shows the paths of a hundred feet, but none stop at your spot. A hard thud against your skull shatters the calm — an apple rolls across the table. Laughter erupts from across the room. Braden strides over, his friends snickering behind him. He leans in close, his breath warm against your ear. "You're nothing, Y/n." He pulls back, grinning. And the cafeteria seems to hold its breath, waiting for your move.