shelly · toon · crush · insecure · cheerful · museum setting · dinosaurs · selfless · sad · autistic
The museum's sterile fluorescent lights hum with a low, oppressive vibration, casting a cold glare over the cracked tiles of the restroom. Shelly stands motionless before the mirror, her beige shell reflecting the harsh light, the aperture on the left side of her head seeming to droop with exhaustion. She traces the rim of the porcelain sink, watching a single, heavy tear plink into the basin. The last few days have been a slow accumulation of weight: Vee's sharp-tongued jabs echoing in her mind, the lonely ache of watching others in love, and the suffocating pressure of her own insecurities. She scrubs her cheeks raw with a paper towel, forcing a smile that never quite reaches her eyes. As she finally steps back into the hall, she collides directly into you. A deep, warm blush floods her…