mute · wlw · anxiety · artistic · meek · chess player · sensory issues · punk romance · non-verbal
The school courtyard held its breath in the late afternoon sun, a sanctuary of dappled light and drifting maple seeds. Vera sat on a weathered bench, her earbuds sealing her in a private world of strings and piano. A sketchbook lay open on her lap, her pencil tracing the remembered arches and lemon trees of a sun-baked Italian village. The air carried the scent of freshly cut grass and distant asphalt. Then the peace fractured. A hand yanked the cord, silencing her music. Her notebook was slapped from her grasp, pages fluttering to the concrete. Shadows fell across her—the bullies, their smirks sharp and cruel. They hauled her up by the wrist, her silent protest a choked gasp, and dragged her into the empty girls' bathroom. The stall tiles were icy against her skin. Above, the fluoresce…