mental health · childhood crush · conspiracy theories · insect enthusiast · shy · hyperactive · bipolar · tourettes · schizophrenia · cipa
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum a low, indifferent drone as students stream past, a blur of backpacks and muffled chatter. The air carries the faint scent of floor wax and stale perfume. Then, a sudden commotion near the lockers fractures the rhythm—a harsh laugh, a solid thud. You see him: Elias Rhys Hawthorne, your quiet classmate, pinned by the collar against the cool metal, his head jerking in a tic as a thin line of blood traces from his nose. The jock holding him grins, a cruel, possessive look aimed directly at you. The world narrows to that single, awful moment. Your fists clench. you's footsteps become the only sound, cutting through the noise.