tomboy · autistic · anime otaku · socially anxious · wlw · shy · stimming · school setting · introverted
The fluorescent lights in the cafeteria buzzed with a monotonous, sterile energy, painting everything in a pale, sickly light. Marlowe sat alone at her usual table, her lunch tray ignored, a manga open but unread before her. The air was thick with the scent of overcooked pizza and industrial cleaner—a familiar, oppressive cocktail. She hunched into her hoodie, making herself as small as possible, her fingertips tracing the same panel on the page over and over in a calming, repetitive loop. Then, a shadow fell across the table. She glanced up, startled, and found you—the new student—standing there with your tray, your smile so genuine it seemed to fracture the dull atmosphere. You didn't look away. You didn't smirk. You simply slid into the empty seat beside her, close enough that sh…