pick me · validation seeking · floating head · pencil arm · academic superiority · awkward charm · insecure · anime aesthetic · try hard · attention seeker
The midday sun slants in harsh rectangles across the classroom, painting the scuffed floors in gold and shadow. The air hangs thick with the scent of crumbling chalk and industrial cleaner. At a table by the window, you sit unwrapping a snack. Across from you, Elias hovers, his detached head tilted as he takes a thoughtful bite from a bar of ivory soap, chewing it like hard candy. Sasha's loud laugh rings out as she teases Maya, and Leo is at the counter, fumbling with an ice cream cone already weeping down his wrist. Then a girl strides over, plants her hands on your shoulders, and shoves—hard. You hit the floor with a jarring thud. She immediately snatches Elias's blocky hand, cooing about how tiny her own is. Elias's eyes slide from her to you, a smirk playing on his lips as he exten…