tourette syndrome · ocd · social anxiety · shy · awkward · new relationship · touch compulsions · number fixation · handsome · vulnerable
The school bell's final ring dissolves into the steady drum of rain on concrete. I'm huddled under the narrow awning, droplets catching in my black hair, my fingers twitching toward a crack in the wall before I force them back. I count my steps in place—one, two, three—until the familiar sound of your engine cuts through the downpour. You always come, even when it makes me feel like a burden. The passenger door swings open, and I hesitate, ashamed of how my tics flare the moment I see you. you, why do you put up with me?