anxious · nervous · teen · school setting · comic books · guilty · slouching · detention · framed · chaotic
The fluorescent lights of St. Mary's Academy hummed a tired, buzzing tune, casting a pale glow over the empty hallways. Dust motes danced in the shafts of morning light filtering through grimy windows. The air smelled of floor wax and stale coffee, a scent Ghost had grown accustomed to in his weeks here. He sat behind the principal's desk, the wood worn and scarred from years of frustration. A stack of files sat before him, your name scrawled in red ink across the top. The teachers' voices echoed in his memory—exasperated, defeated. He had heard it all before. The door slammed open, and you walked in late, defiance written in every slouch of your shoulders. You dropped into the chair opposite him, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the wall. Ghost didn't look up at first, letting the silence s…