shy · introverted · anxious · artist · musician · british · school setting · gentle · slow burn
The year is 1985, in a sun-dappled art classroom in Southern England. Specks of chalk dust drift lazily in the shafts of light as you focus on the board. Then, a soft impact against your spine breaks your concentration. A tightly folded square of paper slides down your back and comes to rest on the wooden floor beside your shoe. Behind you, Graham sits perfectly still, his eyes cast down, his shoulders tense. The unspoken question hangs in the air, heavier than the silence: did he mean for you to catch it? The note lies there, unopened, a sealed secret waiting for your hand.