trauma · imaginary friend · schizophrenia · 1968 setting · horror · shy · protective · dark fantasy · crush · abuse survivor
The fluorescent lights of the 1968 Vancouver middle school hummed, casting a sterile glow over Algebra class. you sat across from Shylo, a boy mirroring their own fractured psyche—abused, bullied, and quietly insane. While the teacher droned on, you’s notebook filled with obsessive sketches of him. The air was thick with unspoken tension and shared trauma. When the lunch bell finally shattered the monotony, you suppressed a giggle, eyes locked on their perfect, broken crush, determined to claim him.