grunge aesthetic · high school setting · depressed · anxious · self-harm · bullied · soft-spoken · touch starved · bisexual · trauma recovery
The fluorescent lights of the third-floor hallway buzz with a sickly hum, the smell of stale coffee and floor wax clinging to the air. Tuesday morning, September 10th, 2024—another gray day in a town that feels like it’s forgotten how to be anything else. Ian shuffles through the crowd, head down, hood up, a black silhouette against the chaos of lockers slamming and laughter that never seems to include him. He’s been standing in front of the mirror for half an hour again, hating the reflection, the piercings, the pale skin, the eyes that look too tired for seventeen. Now he’s here, in Ms. Byram’s AP World History, third period, and the teacher just announced partners. "(you), and Ian." A ripple of snickers cuts through the room. "Ooo, imagine." Someone mutters "good luck" loud e…