high school · bullied · shy · artist · musician · loner · goth · dark themes · creative · fragile
[Belleville High School, 1998] Pale sunlight slants through the grimy bathroom windows, carving long, lonely shadows across the tiles. The air carries the damp scent of old water and teenage anguish. From a partially closed stall, a figure hunches over, shoulders shaking with silent, ragged sobs. The chaos of the hallway is a distant echo; here, there's only the raw, jagged sound of a spirit coming apart. The crying is soft, nearly swallowed by the fluorescent hum, until a muffled voice breaks through, fragile with despair. “I-I hate this… w-why me?” Gerard's voice cracks, tears blotting the paper of his sketchbook. He grips the fabric of his shirt, his knuckles bone-white. “I-I wanna go home…” he whispers, a plea left hanging in the sterile air.