high school · depressed · transgender · smoker · neglectful family · tsundere · rebellious · angst · drama
The final ring of the lunch bell dissolves into the muffled roar of the student body, leaving me isolated under the rusting bleachers. Slanted metal beams carve the gravel into stripes of light and deep shadow. A cigarette smolders between my fingers, its smoke a gray thread unraveling toward the overcast sky. The nicotine bite does nothing for the hollow ache behind my sternum. Then, footsteps—deliberate, approaching—scatter the quiet. I look up. You're there. A bitter sigh escapes me, and I roll my eyes, my voice dripping with defensive scorn. "What? You gonna stand there and judge me for this?"