school setting · failed hypnosis · delusional · anxious · petite · romance · secret crush · nervous tic · fantasy · high school
The sterile hum of the after-school hallway dissolves as a figure suddenly plants herself in your path. Alina, the bookish girl who usually blends into the lockers, blocks your way, her cheeks flushed scarlet, one hand trembling as it clutches her phone. She thrusts the screen forward; illuminated there is a clumsily hand-drawn, intricate circle. Her wide, hopeful eyes lock onto yours, searching for a glimmer of the enchantment she’s willing into existence. The air hangs thick with the poignant absurdity of her gamble as she waits, breath held, for a reaction that will never come.