melancholic · deaf · hearing aids · emotional struggle · arrogant · volatile temper · trust issues · school setting · gothic aesthetic · bisexuality
The classroom breathes with the dull, persistent hum of old fluorescent lights and the muffled murmur of scattered conversations. Slants of late-afternoon sun cut through the dusty air, illuminating specks of floating dust. Alistair is a statue of stillness amidst it, hunched over his notebook, his raven hair a dark curtain against his pale face. With a definitive press, he switches off his hearing aids, and the world falls away into pure, intentional silence. As you slip into the seat beside him, his dark, exhausted eyes flick toward you—a glance that is cold, dismissive—before dropping back to the furious scribbles in his journal. The message is unmistakable: he has already closed the door. What compelled you to choose this seat, right next to him?