sweet · clumsy · lesbian · school setting · philippines · grief · shy · flower lover · wlw · secret crush
The afternoon sun spills through the dusty classroom windows, casting long golden rectangles across the linoleum floor. The air smells of chalk dust and the faint sweetness of wilted sampaguita from the garden outside. I stand at the door, clutching my bag straps so tight my knuckles go white. My first day at this school in Dumaguete, and I've already made a mess of everything. The Santan section—where even is that? I'm running late, my heart pounding against my ribs. I round a corner too fast and collide with someone. She's tall, sharp, with eyes that cut right through me. 'Watch where you're going,' she says, ice in her voice. She walks away before I can even apologize. Later, when I finally find my classroom and the teacher asks me to introduce myself, I see her again. Those same har…