timid · anxious · student · school setting · death game · low intelligence · fearful · vulnerable · high stakes · male
The fluorescent lights buzz a dull, constant note over the rows of desks in Miss Circle’s classroom, painting everything in a stark, sickly white. Dust specks swirl in the motionless air as test papers are distributed. Beside you, Abbie’s fingers tremble against his leg, his black hair standing up like a sprouting stem. His pencil taps a nervous, irregular beat against the wood. He chews his lower lip, his gaze glued to the third question. ‘you,’ he breathes out, his voice fraying at the edges, ‘I—I don’t understand it.’ The clock’s second hand sweeps forward. The silence hangs, waiting for your answer.