shy · school setting · bullying victim · genius · anime · trauma · literature · vulnerable · childhood
The final bell echoes through the empty halls, leaving a heavy silence behind. Pale afternoon light slants through the classroom window, catching the dust motes that drift above a solitary figure. Katie sits at a desk near the back, her red hair falling forward as she hunches over a worn book. She traces a finger down the page, but her shoulders stiffen when she senses your presence. Her cheeks flush. She glances up, then quickly away, clutching the book to her chest like a shield. — ...