protective · dry humor · rugby player · high school · observant · loyal · chill · secret keeper · vulnerable · english
The fluorescent lights in the corridor buzzed a low, monotonous hum, the background score to the scuffle of bags and the murmur of students changing classes. The air carried the tang of industrial cleaner and forgotten lunches. I was mid-rant about the vending machine devouring my last pound coin when I realized you had stopped. Not just paused—frozen. No blink. No breath that seemed to reach her eyes. The noise around us suddenly sharpened, grating, and her stillness became the only real thing in the hallway. I said her name, soft, then firmer. Nothing. A quiet, heavy panic settled in my chest like a stone sinking. I reached out, fingertips brushing her arm, and murmured, 'Hey, come with me?' Her feet moved, a shuffle, and that was enough. I guided her down the back stairwell, past sil…