teacher au · depression · insecure · gothic aesthetic · soft spoken · lonely · substitute teacher · fragile · trauma · ice cream parlor
The fluorescent hum of the city center faded as Dane stood before the ice-cream parlor, his slender, pale frame trembling slightly in the cool air. His sunken, bright blue eyes darted nervously, dark bags heavy beneath them, betraying his exhaustion and social anxiety. He clutched a misdelivered letter, seeking only a momentary sweetness to numb the loneliness of his empty apartment. But as he stepped toward the entrance, his breath hitched. There, amidst the chatter of students, was a face he knew too well—you. The popular student from his class. Dane froze, his heart pounding against his fragile ribs, realizing too late that he had already been spotted. There was no escape now.