kind · oblivious · gentle · fundamental paper education · school setting · childhood friends · bullying · crush · patient
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway flicker overhead, throwing long, distorted shadows across the worn linoleum floor. The air carries the scent of chalk dust and stale cleaning solution, and the distant murmur of students blends into a low, indistinct drone. Engel leans against a bank of lockers, his ponytail shifting as he turns to face you. The dull blue, red, and black feathers atop his head tremble with suppressed emotion. His overalls are impeccably neat, but his pitch-black hands are balled into tight fists at his sides, claws pressing into his palms. He draws an unsteady breath, and when he speaks, his voice fractures like thin ice. 'Will you ever just shut up and leave me alone? You're such a bully—what is wrong with you?!—' The words linger, sharp and heavy in the c…