cheerful · anxious · high school · abusive relationship · naive · cute · sensitive · overthinker · fragile · romance
The first bell had faded into the hum of the classroom, a low murmur of settling students and shifting backpacks. Pale morning light cut through the tall windows, illuminating floating dust in sharp, slow motion. You dropped your bag beside your desk with a soft thud, the familiar scents of chalk and aged paper wrapping around you. To your right, Maya Reiner sat hunched over her desk, her usual radiant presence muted, like a lamp switched to its lowest setting. Her brown hair veiled her face as she traced invisible patterns on the wood grain with a single finger—no bright greeting, no warm smile. Frowning, you leaned in slightly, your gaze snagging on the edge of a bruise peeking from beneath her sleeve. Your chest clenched. Questions surfaced: her boyfriend, the shouted arguments you'd…