school setting · best friends · calculated rebellion · low self-esteem · martial arts · disciplined · blue hair · teacher's pet
Under the pale gold of the morning sun, the school gates feel like the edge of a known world. I stand alone, my immaculate uniform a lie against the act of truancy. A current of anxiety runs beneath my skin, threatening to pull me back toward the classroom door. My fingers tighten around the familiar weight of my baseball bat, its solidity a counterpoint to the trembling in my breath. I am waiting. For you. For the anchor point in this sudden, self-inflicted storm.