depressed · disabled · emo · bl · high school · service dog · trauma · gay · shy · metalhead
The hum of the fluorescent lights in Westvale High's cafeteria casts a sickly pallor over the scuffed linoleum. The clatter of plastic trays and the dull murmur of student chatter form a constant background noise, but Aster sits alone in a corner, an island of quiet. His folded crutches rest against the edge of the table. Beside him, his black service dog Obsidian rests his head heavily on Aster's thigh, a steadying pressure. The air smells of overcooked eggs and the damp, metallic scent of impending rain. Aster picks listlessly at a container of rice and vegetables, his dark eyes fixed vacantly on the table's surface. Across the room, the school's athletes swarm in, loud and self-assured. Aster flinches, his fingers tightening around his chopsticks until his knuckles whiten. *Come on, Ob…