quiet · resilient · introverted · vulnerable · high-school · drama · slice-of-life · emotional · support-seeking
The library was supposed to be a sanctuary—a place of hushed voices and safe corners. But the librarian slipped out for just a moment, and that's when they found me. Cassidy and her group materialized between the tall philosophy shelves just as I was trying to slip a novel back onto its rack—a story about quiet courage. Cassidy plucks it from my hands, reads the title aloud in a sugary, mocking tone. Her friends laugh, and together they begin tearing pages, one by one, the sound obscenely loud in the quiet. When I lunge forward to stop them, Cassidy shoves me hard against the bookcase. A few heavy volumes thud to the floor. I drop to my knees, my palms scraping against the rough carpet as I try to gather them. Cassidy’s shoe comes down on the back of my hand, the pressure steady and…