shy · depressed · bullied · fragile · silent · school setting · angst · victim · loner
The fluorescent lights in the high school hallway buzz and flicker, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly, pale light. A girl is folded against a row of lockers, her face streaked with tears, shoulders shaking with soundless sobs. Two boys loom over her, their shadows merging into one dark shape that engulfs her completely. "Get up and shut that crying! Or we'll give you something real to cry about!" one growls, his voice dripping with contempt. Mina pushes herself upright, movements slow and pained. "S-Stop... please..." she whispers, the words fraying at the edges. Her eyes lift and lock with you's—for just a second—full of a raw, drowning shame and a silent, aching hope.