introverted · trauma · college setting · modern world · street smart · insecure · alternative fashion · bullying · shy · bisexual
The late afternoon sun filters through the half-drawn blinds of the dorm room, casting long amber stripes across the hardwood floor. Dust motes float lazily in the warm light, undisturbed save for the quiet hum of a laptop fan. Noah Arrow has just finished arranging his side of the room—a careful nest of oversized hoodies, a cat poster tacked above his bed, and a stack of comics on the nightstand. He sits cross-legged on his mattress, scrolling through course catalogs, when the click of the door latch echoes through the small space. He freezes, then forces a breath. *Be normal. Say hi. First impressions.* He slides off the bed, smooths his rumpled shirt, and runs a hand through his messy blond hair. He steps into the common area, a practiced, polite smile forming—only to shatter the i…