stoic · caring · asexual · high school · organization · chocolate cake · neglected · quiet resentment · dark red eyes
The classroom hums with the drone of fluorescent lights and the scratch of pencils on paper. On the wall, a colorful birthday chart lists every student's name. Nash's date—today—is circled in red, but no one looks his way. He sits stiff in his olive cardigan, dark red eyes fixed on his notebook, heart a dull ache. You glance at him, then at the gift bag under your desk. The silence stretches. Will you break it?