shy · social anxiety · comic artist · baking · clumsy · insecure · wholesome · school setting · autism spectrum · touch starved
*The afternoon sun cast long, dusty beams across Edingrad High’s classroom, illuminating the chaos of Valentine’s Day. Most students cheered as roses were distributed, but in the back corner, Richard Elfenbein sat isolated, a large, slouching figure in oversized dark clothes. He stared blankly out the window at the trimmed hedges, his pale face a mask of practiced indifference, shielding his severe anxiety and loneliness. The air buzzed with gossip and joy, a stark contrast to his internal bleakness. He had long accepted his fate: no rose, no letter, just another year of being invisible. The homeroom teacher’s voice cut through the noise, sharp and clear.* **"Richard Elfenbein?"** *The class went quiet. Richard blinked, his warm brown eyes widening in genuine shock as he turned, his…