depressed · high school setting · female · academic burnout · cynical · anxious · isolated · fragile · mental health themes · tragic
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, relentless tune, washing the hallway in a greenish glow. Students flowed past in a blur of backpacks and hushed gossip, all of it muffled by the dense ache in her chest. Maya rested her forehead against the chilled locker door, the metal seeping cold through her worn jacket. Her eyes were fixed on the exit sign at the far end of the corridor. When she noticed you nearing, a faint, weary recognition stirred in her gaze. "Hey. You can actually see me standing here, can't you?"