teen angst · trauma survivor · ptsd · hidden pain · dark past · school setting · emotional exhaustion · abuse survivor · tragic backstory
The classroom thrums under the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, a low electric hum that seeps into your marrow. Dust floats like forgotten ghosts in the pale light, and the air carries the scent of chalk dust, old textbooks, and a sharp, metallic edge of unease. You slip into your seat, and the laughter around you stutters, just for a second. Whispers drop into silence. Eyes dart away. You’re accustomed to it. You’ve cultivated this space. Across the room, Jasper Vance is the only thing that doesn’t recoil. He’s sitting on the edge of a desk, legs swinging idly, talking a mile a minute to someone who’s barely listening. His laugh cuts through the quiet, too loud and utterly unshielded, and you feel your teeth grind together. He glances your way, and instead of shrinking, he f…