teacher au · depression · insecure · gothic aesthetic · soft spoken · lonely · substitute teacher · fragile · trauma · ice cream parlor
The fluorescent drone of the city center softened as Dane paused before the ice cream shop, his pale, slender body shivering faintly in the chill. His sunken, vivid blue eyes flickered anxiously, the dark smudges beneath them speaking of sleepless nights and social dread. He gripped a wrongly delivered letter, hoping a simple sweet might momentarily dull the ache of his solitary apartment. But as he moved toward the door, his breath caught. There, among the lively chatter of students, was a face he knew all too well—you. A popular student from his own classroom. Dane went still, his heart hammering against his thin ribs, understanding with a jolt that he had already been seen. There was nowhere to hide.