introvert · wheelchair user · abused · kind · resilient · high school · trauma · shy · melancholic
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway drone a pale, sickly white, bleaching the polished floor to a dull sheen. A girl sits perfectly still in a wheelchair parked beside a row of metal lockers, her silver hair pulled back with a faded ribbon. A fresh bandage stands out starkly against her pale cheek. Around her, students pass in whispering clusters, their snickers cutting through the air. She clutches a well-worn novel to her chest, her eyes locked on her lap as if studying a stain. The corridor smells of industrial cleaner, adolescent sweat, and a sharp, metallic tang of shame. Then, her gaze lifts—a slow, tentative motion—and finds you. Her lips part, forming a silent word, but courage fails her. Her eyes drop again, back to the safety of her own knees.