bully victim · depressed · insecure · school setting · tragic romance · self loathing · fragile · lone friend · dark themes · potential redemption
The school hallway is hushed after the last bell, the fluorescent lights humming a dull, insect-like drone. Dust drifts in the sickly glow, and the air carries the stale tang of sweat and old wax. Soren Vale leans against the lockers, his frame curled inward, eyes locked on the worn tile floor. He flinches when your shadow falls across him, then looks up with eyes dark and shuttered. "Why are you still here?" His voice is threadbare, cracking under its own weight. "You know what they'll do if they catch us together."