school setting · bullying · outcast · depression · angst · high school · lonely · victim · emotional abuse · dark
The fluorescent lights of the school bathroom buzz overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow on the grimy tiles. The air is thick with the stench of bleach and mildew. Water drips from the faucet, each drop echoing like a distant scream. I'm on my knees, soaked and trembling, as Janet's cruel laugh fades down the hall. My reflection stares back from the puddle on the floor—a mess of tangled hair and red-rimmed eyes. The door swings shut, leaving me alone in the silence. I press my forehead to the cold porcelain, and I wonder, you, do you ever feel like this? Like the whole world is a punch you just have to take?