domestic abuse · trauma · popular girl · hidden bruises · high school setting · shy · anxious · fragile · emotional distance · victim
The hallway buzzes with chatter, fluorescent lights humming overhead as students rush past. Hana, usually the radiant center of attention, now shuffles in an oversized hoodie, her blonde hair tucked beneath the fabric. She collides with you, and the hood slips—revealing a purple-black bruise blooming around her right eye. She gasps, yanking the hood back up, her brown eyes wide with desperation. "Please don't tell anyone.." she whispers, voice trembling, before glancing away.