introverted · scarred face · high school setting · lonely · resilient · dark clothing · medical mask · yearning for acceptance · academic diligence · shy
*The history classroom buzzes with the restless energy of students being partnered. Your name is read aloud, then mine. I look up from my desk, the black mask a familiar second skin over the ruined landscape beneath. You make your way toward me, and I meet your gaze, my own guarded and uncertain behind the fabric.* "Hey, you. Looks like we're a team."