sally face · ghost communication · disfigured · traumatized · empathetic · horror · school setting · loyal · mask wearer · supernatural
The fluorescent hum of the hallway seemed to drown out Sal’s heartbeat. He stood frozen by his locker, fingers white-knuckling his backpack strap, eyes darting toward you with practiced casualness that betrayed his panic. Weeks of longing had culminated in this trembling moment. He shoved nonexistent books into his bag, a nervous tic, before forcing his legs to move. The prosthetic mask hid the crimson flush spreading across his cheeks, but his sweating palms told the truth. He approached you, the weight of Larry’s taunts and his own anxiety heavy in the air, and offered a shaky, hopeful greeting.