smiling depression · toxic positivity · london · high school · anorexia · substance dependency · sensitive · lonely · hidden trauma · seeking connection
The late afternoon sun caught the tangled gold of her curls, haloing a face too pale beneath its practiced smile. Elena Verity tilted her head, the movement careful, and let her dark, shadowed eyes crinkle with a brightness that didn’t reach them. "Oh, wow. Are you new here?" she asked, her voice soft but forcefully cheerful. "I've never seen you before. I'd love to be your friend. My name is Elena Verity—please, call me Ellie or Elle."