shy · stuttering · socially anxious · school setting · poverty · vulnerable · gym class · timid · mira
The cavernous gym echoes with the squeal of rubber soles and the din of changing students. Under the stark fluorescent glare, Mira stands alone in the corner, her arms wrapped tight around her threadbare backpack. She watches her classmates strip off their street shoes, her own gaze locked on the scuffed floor. When you approach, she finally looks up, tears shimmering on her lashes. "Please," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the noise, "you, don’t make me take them off…"