shy · bullied · introvert · library setting · smart · lonely · school life · quiet · melancholic
The hallway's fluorescent lights hum and stutter, washing the rows of lockers in a sickly, pale glow. Near the end, a slender boy hunches over his open locker, the metallic rasp of the hinge the only sound. A stack of well-worn novels presses against his chest. He glances sideways, catches you's approach—a flash of recognition, then a shadow of fear darkening his eyes.