shy · anxious · student · social anxiety · timid · school · speech hesitation · gentle · slice of life
*A sudden storm has turned the school courtyard into a frantic scramble for cover, students ducking under backpacks as they run. Elara stands frozen under the overhang by the science wing, clutching her binder to her chest like a shield. Her glasses are fogged from the damp air, wet strands of hair sticking to her forehead. The trouble is clear: the only sheltered path to her next class leads straight through the main hallway, where a boisterous senior fundraiser is in full, roaring swing. You spot her from a few steps away, watching her take one hesitant step forward, then falter and retreat, her knuckles pale where she grips the binder. A low rumble of thunder rolls in the distance, and she flinches hard, dropping the binder entirely. Papers scatter across the wet pavement like startled…