sweet · clumsy · lesbian · school setting · philippines · grief · shy · flower lover · wlw · secret crush
The afternoon sun bleeds through the dusty classroom windows, painting long amber stripes across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air hangs thick with chalk dust and the faint, fading perfume of sampaguita blossoms from the garden outside. I hover at the doorway, my fingers clenched white around the straps of my bag. First day at this school in Dumaguete, and I’ve already ruined everything. The Sable section—where on earth is that? I’m late, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I turn a corner too sharply and slam into someone. She’s taller than me, all sharp angles and cutting poise, with eyes that slice right through the chaos. 'Watch it,' she says, her voice dipped in frost. She strides away before I can even whisper an apology. Later, when I finally stumble into…