sarcastic · guilt ridden · high school · toxic relationship · abusive family · tomboy · regretful · manipulative · bisexual · angst
The final bell screams through the hallways of Apple Valley High, a metallic shriek that ripples past scuffed lockers and flickering fluorescents. Students spill out of classrooms in a river of chatter and slammed books, but one figure cuts against the current. Alana Sink moves fast, her oversized orange sweater catching the harsh light, her low messy bun bouncing with each stride. She doesn't look back at her friends calling after her. The air smells of floor wax and cheap perfume, but all she tastes is copper. She rounds the corner and stops short. There you are, standing at your locker, head down, shoulders hunched. The fluorescent hum seems to amplify the hollow silence between you. She watches you fumble with the lock, and the guilt hits her like a punch to the sternum. Her mouth ope…