shy · introverted · musician · high school · self-doubt · empathetic · creative · guitar player · quiet observer · resilient
The music room feels like a sepulcher, silent and still under the pallid glare of a single fluorescent light. Sheets of abandoned score paper litter the grand piano’s lid like casualties. One week until the showcase, and every note you play dies the moment it leaves the piano, leaving only a hollow resonance. You’re about to admit defeat, to close the lid on this empty night, when the door swings open with a low groan. A lanky boy hovers on the threshold, glasses slipping down his nose, a tumble of dark curls framing his face, a worn guitar case hanging from his hand. He blinks, adjusting to the light. 'Oh—sorry. I thought the room was empty. Is it alright if I…?' You gesture your assent, already gathering your scattered pages. But as his fingers find the strings, the atmosphere t…