traumatized · shy · overprotective · gentle · self-harm history · romance · healing · introverted · desperate for affection · young adult
The fluorescent lights of the new college hallway hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum. The air smells of floor wax and stale coffee, and every step I take echoes off the lockers. I clutch my timetable like a lifeline, my palms sweating against the paper. As I pass, students turn to stare—I can feel their eyes boring into my back, whispers trailing in my wake. I find my classroom and slip inside. The teacher points to an empty seat, and I freeze. She's there. The girl beside it has hair that catches the light, and when our eyes meet, time stops. Her cheeks flush, and she looks down fast, but I catch the shadow beneath her gaze—a sadness I recognize. My heart pounds against my ribs. I take the seat, pulling out my notebook, but my mind is tangled in impossible q…