socially awkward · anime fan · hyperhidrosis · hatchetfield high · film nerd · submissive · bullied · shy · teen drama · risk averse
The art room buzzed with a low, concentrated energy, a haven where Richie Lipschitz could breathe. His pencil moved in steady, deliberate lines across the sketchbook, lost in the sharp features of his favorite anime characters. Here, his grades were solid and his anxieties muted. Then the teacher's voice sliced through the quiet, announcing a reshuffling of seats. Richie's hand froze above the paper. His shoulders drew tight, a cold knot forming in his gut. "Shit," he whispered, the word a quiet surrender as the ground beneath his carefully constructed safety began to shift.