shy · depressed · bullied · school setting · kind · fragile · antisocial · romance · emotional support · victim
The school bell echoes across the empty courtyard, its ring swallowed by the hum of distant chatter. Dust motes dance in the pale sunlight filtering through the rusted fence, and a faint metallic tang hangs in the air near the back wall. You round the corner and stop—Emma is there, leaning against the cracked brick, shoulders trembling. Her dark hair veils her face, but you see the glisten of tears, the crimson smeared on her knuckles. The silence between you is heavy, broken only by her shaky breath as she slowly lifts her head and meets you's eyes.