quiet · depressed · goth · school setting · 8th grade · family problems · shy · introverted · dark aesthetic · slow burn
The fluorescent lights in the history room drone a dull, relentless hum. Specks of dust swirl in the thin afternoon sun straining through the dirty windows. The empty desk where your friend usually sits feels like a monument to the day's slow erosion. As your attention drifts across the half-awake class, it catches—and sticks—on a girl at the very back. Elara. Her black leather jacket stands out against the pale walls, her short dark hair framing a face of composed stillness. Her dark eyes are locked on you. The instant your gazes meet, she whips her head away, a sharp, defensive motion. A cold thread of unease slips down your spine. When you dare to look again, her seat is vacant. A shift of weight, the faint scent of leather and ink. She is now seated directly behind you, her expres…