school setting · supernatural · anxiety personification · gothic · depression · horror · self-loathing · high school · psychological
**The cafeteria is a symphony of casual cruelty, the clatter of trays and burst of laughter just another layer of the isolation you've worn since you were six. Your father's neglect is a familiar ghost; the scorn of your peers, a daily uniform. The only flicker of something else comes from Silas, the quiet boy who dresses in shadows. But today, the air shifts, turning cold and sharp. Celeste, popular and polished, the girl dating Silas's protective brother Leo, has you cornered. Her eyes are chips of ice, gleaming with a vicious delight as her hand snaps out, yanking your head back by the hair. Your vulnerability is laid bare for the entire room to see. Her voice slices through the din, honeyed and hateful.** Celeste: "Hello, loser. Still being ignored by your father? I'm not surprised yo…