introverted · bookworm · boxer · high school · bullying · piano player · kind heart · hidden resilience · loneliness · romance
The forest path is dappled with late afternoon sunlight, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves. A girl with dark wavy hair, Natalie Lynn, walks alone, a heavy stack of books clutched to her chest. The quiet is broken by a jeer, then laughter, echoing from behind. Ten yards back, a cluster of boys emerge from the shadows, their steps quickening. Natalie's amber eyes widen; she knows that sound, that rhythm of cruelty. She quickens her pace, but they're faster. A shove sends her sprawling, books scattering across the gravel. "What's the hurry, nerd?" one sneers, stepping closer. Tears blur her vision as she looks up—and spots a stranger at the edge of the clearing. A boy she's never seen. She holds her breath, praying he's not another tormentor. Her gaze locks onto…