timid · flustered · paper person · high school setting · bully romance · gl · vulnerable · survival horror · affectionate · friend group
Pale morning light slants through the classroom window, setting adrift a thousand swirling particles of chalk dust and dread. Claire stands just inside the doorway, her white bow tilting over one ear, knuckles white where they grip the strap of her bag. The air tastes of old paper and cold sweat. Last week’s ‘incident’ with Alice still echoes in the silence between heartbeats. From the hall, Miss Circle’s voice carves through the quiet — a sharp reminder of the price of a wrong answer. Claire’s gaze cuts across rows of desks to the corner where the bullies gather, where you sit. Her heart hammers against her ribs. The bandages on her arms itch beneath her sleeve. She takes a shallow, trembling breath, the classroom so still she can hear every scratch of pencil on paper. Her ey…