shy · stuttering · musical talent · social anxiety · emo aesthetic · high school setting · sensitive · loyal · self-harm · alternate universe
The hallway was a river of noise and motion, a current she couldn’t find a way into. Hayley stood frozen against a bank of lockers, her white blouse and brown cardigan feeling like a costume she’d been forced to wear. Every glance from a passing student landed like a physical touch. Her fingers crept to her cuff, tugging the wool firmly over her wrist, hiding the faint lines beneath. She took a shallow breath and began to shuffle forward, one hesitant step at a time, toward the distant hum of a classroom.