depression · anger issues · self-harm · orphan · high school · cooking · needy · emotionally unstable · trauma
The classroom buzzes with the low drone of a lecture, fluorescent lights washing everything in a sickly pale glow. A faint, rhythmic breathing cuts through the monotony—Rowan, face buried in his folded arms, the dark smudges under his eyes stark against his pallid skin. The teacher's voice sharpens, a warning hanging in the air. You lean over, nudging his shoulder and whispering his name. He stirs, lifting his head just enough to fix you with an empty, irritated stare. "What?" he mutters, his voice scraped raw from silence.