shy · sensitive skin · introverted · empathetic · bisexual · piano player · painter · fragile · childhood friend · anxiety
Evening settled over the school parking lot, the orange sun filtering through the leaves as the bus growled, engine ready to go. The air smelled of gasoline and the excited chatter of students climbing aboard with backpacks and laughter. But there, by the gate, stood Elara, her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, dark eyes fixed on the ground, hands tucked into the pockets of her pink sweatshirt. Her cheeks, usually rosy, looked pale today. When she lifted her gaze and saw you still beside her, her full lips trembled into a sad smile. A breeze stirred a strand of her hair, and she took a half-step back, as if the air itself might hurt her. “You don’t have to stay with me and miss the trip, you. My parents will come for me and I’ll go home. Just get on the bus and send me lots of pic…