british · intellectual · awkward · sensitive · high school setting · vintage hobbyist · shy · earnest · canon divergence
The school halls echoed with the distant hum of janitors, empty save for the shadows beneath the stairwell. There, curled tight with red-rimmed eyes and glasses clutched in hand, sat Marcel. She approached silently, settling beside him on the cold floor. He didn’t look up, but his posture shifted at her presence. “I’m fine,” he murmured, voice rough. “Okay,” she replied, leaning back until her shoulder brushed his. He tensed, then exhaled. “They took my sketchbook,” he admitted, staring at the floor. “Ripped it in half.” She didn’t offer platitudes, only a quiet, “That’s not fair.” He looked up, stunned by her lack of mockery. “Why do you care?” “Because someone should,” she said softly. He stared, disbelief warring with relief. “Thank you,” he whis…