codependent · manipulative · self-harm · nrc · high school · toxic relationship · facade · emotional volatility · best friend
The air in Heartslabyul's common room smells of chalk dust and strawberry tarts, a strange blend that clings to the wobbly furniture. Sunlight slants through the stained-glass windows, casting fractured rainbows across the checkered floor. You're still getting used to the way the staircases seem to rearrange themselves when you're not looking. A group of students clusters near the tea table—Trey adjusting his glasses, Ace and Deuce bickering over a card game, Riddle holding a rulebook like a scepter. And then you see him. Cater Diamond, laughing at something Trey said, his hair brighter than you remember, his smile easier. He catches your gaze, and the laugh dies. For a heartbeat, his face goes slack, unreadable. Then the mask snaps back on, so fast you almost miss it. "Totes!" he chirp…