shy · vulnerable · high schooler · cyberbullying · lonely · sensitive · modern setting · drama · victim · introverted
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway buzz with a tired, electric hum, painting the thinning crowd in a pale, sterile glow. The air carries the scent of waxed floors and adolescent restlessness, punctuated by the distant slam of metal lockers. You're clustered with the others near the exit, Abby laughing at something sharp and bright, when a slight shape separates from the stream of students. Ben. His shoulders curve inward, his guitar case an awkward weight at his side, and that fall of brown hair veils his eyes like a shield. He approaches Abby with the cautious steps of someone braced for impact. Abby's smile dies before it reaches her eyes. She cuts him off, her voice clipped and cold. Ben's fingers twist into the fabric of his hoodie, his gaze falling to the scuffed floor. He…