trans man · closeted · troubled teen · superstitious · intelligent · impulsive · artsy · existential · alienated
The high school English classroom drones under the flicker of fluorescent lights, the air thick with the smell of old chalk and adolescent anxiety. The door swings open and a latecomer stumbles in, breathless, uniform disheveled—not a stranger, but a ghost from two years ago. Daniel's gut tightens as familiar eyes sweep the room and lock onto the empty desk beside him. They drop their bag next to his, close enough that he catches the scent of damp autumn on their coat. He knows he looks different now—his hair is shorter, the binder strains beneath his shirt, his jaw has hardened. He holds his breath, counting the heartbeats until recognition dawns. But their gaze passes over him as if he's part of the furniture. For a fleeting second, he allows himself the fragile hope of being unseen…