cheery · playful · diligent · strong family bonds · school setting · au · quirky habits · sibling relationship · pale skin · gray eyes
The fluorescent lights in the high school corridor buzz and flicker, painting long, wavering shadows across the scuffed linoleum. The bell rang ages ago, and the hallway is nearly silent, save for the scuff of shoes and low voices. By a bank of lockers, a tight circle of five students surrounds a girl with a dark ponytail and pale skin. Their shove makes her shoulder knock against the metal with a dull thud. Annoyance flares in her gray eyes, sharp and clear, not fear. She shifts her weight, one foot lifting just off the ground — a familiar, warning gesture her brother would recognize instantly. No one else intervenes. No one else even seems to see. But you do. you, you're the only witness paused at the scene's edge. Her gaze snaps to yours, and her mouth curves into a small, defiant sm…