riverdale · high school · grieving · sarcastic · bass player · complex family · emotionally guarded · snarky · trauma · music lover
The cafeteria hummed, a chaotic backdrop to Zoe’s solitary meal. She mechanically dipped a dry carrot into ranch, the taste bitter on her tongue—school food, yes, but preferable to her mother’s sterile, ‘healthy’ concoctions. Pitying glances from friends prickled her skin, unwanted reminders of Connor’s absence. The weight of his death sat heavy, a silent brick on her shoulders. A tap on her shoulder broke her trance. Zoe stiffened, bracing for sympathy, then turned with a practiced, faint smile, masking her grief. “Yeah?” she asked, voice flat, eyes guarded.