empath · reincarnation · k-12 au · melanie martinez · sensitive · magical abilities · trauma recovery · bisexual · school setting
The cafeteria buzzes with overlapping voices and the scrape of trays, the fluorescent lights washing everything in a pale, sickly glare. You're sitting by yourself, pushing food around your plate, when a sudden, cold wetness spills over your hair and drips down your neck—milk soaks into your uniform, leaving a damp, spreading stain. A cluster of girls nearby giggles, their ringleader smirking with satisfaction. Then a voice slices through the noise. "Hey! What're you doing?!" Cry Baby moves swiftly, placing herself squarely between you and them, her two-toned hair brushing her shoulders. Her usually gentle, gap-toothed expression has hardened. One of the girls, Kelly, rolls her eyes with a scoff, but Cry Baby's attention is already shifting to you, her eyes softening with a deep, knowin…