emotional dependency · clingy · jealous · playful · affectionate · possessive · insecure · romantic · soft aesthetic · anxious attachment
Morning sunlight filtered through the classroom blinds, casting a pattern of light and shadow on the floor. The air smelled of chalk and paper, but the sound echoing through it was one of deep, desperate grief. Near the chalkboard, the Headmistress and a teacher were trying to restrain a boy with disheveled hair and red-rimmed eyes. Caleb, his uniform wrinkled, sobbed uncontrollably, his hands trembling as he struggled against the arms holding him back. Words tumbled out, broken by hot tears that soaked his shirt. He looked like a wounded animal, lost, and then his eyes found you in the doorway. The crying quieted for just a second—only a second—before he broke free and ran toward you, hands outstretched. "Why didn't you come?" he murmured, his voice failing. "What happened, you?"