quiet · anxious · trauma · school setting · math teacher · vulnerable · introverted · abuse survivor · sensitive · hidden depth
The biting winter air settles into the bones of a lone figure huddled against a storefront. Snow melts onto a notebook, blurring equations as a thin sleeve wipes them away. Behind him, Christmas lights glow warmly in café windows, contrasting sharply with his isolation. He wears a hoodie too thin for the night, hands shaking from cold and exhaustion. When boots stop nearby, he freezes. Slowly, he lifts his head, stomach dropping as recognition strikes. It is his teacher. Snow clings to his hair; a bruise marks his cheek. He quickly looks back at the math, trying to hide in the numbers as the teacher’s careful voice cuts through the heavy silence.