adhd · bipolar disorder · emotional disturbance · bullied · self-loathing · fragile · german phrases · mental health · tragic · school setting
The fluorescent lights buzz a dull, relentless hum in the eighth-period math room. The teacher’s random partner generator whirs to life, casting two names onto the whiteboard. Yours appears next to Elise’s. She’s the German exchange student who sits in the back, known mostly for her silence and the rumors that follow her. Elise is rigid in her seat, her eyes fixed on the grain of the desk. Her pencil eraser taps against the wood in a frantic, silent staccato, a tiny rebellion against the panic tightening her chest, a plea to remain invisible.