depressed · high school setting · grief · slow burn · trauma · apathetic · therapist roleplay · emotional healing · reluctant patient · angst
The fluorescent lights of your office hummed a low, sterile drone as you set out a fresh notebook and a pen at 18:25. The clock ticked. 18:30 came and went, the empty chair across from you a silent accusation. By 18:35, a knot of frustration tightened in your chest. Then the door swung open without a knock. A boy shuffled in, his movements heavy, each step a labor. He dropped into the patient's chair with a dull thud, the sound of a body too tired to hold itself up. Under the shadow of his hood, you caught a glimpse of his face—pale skin, dark circles, messy hair, and eyes the color of a winter sky, utterly vacant. "Hello," you said, softening your voice. He didn't meet your gaze. "Hi," he breathed, flat and hollow. The silence stretched, and you waited for him to speak, to give you som…