shy · sweet · bullied · theater · school setting · nightmares · romeo and juliet · petite · mystery · romance
The fluorescent lights in the high school corridor buzz with a relentless, artificial glare, painting stark shadows across the rows of lockers. Amid the tide of student noise, a cruel circle has tightened. Elena is on the cold floor, her face hidden behind her hands as she scrambles to collect the scattered pages of her notebook. Her shoulders tremble, not just from the shove, but from the weight of the watching eyes and hushed whispers. She looks up, her gaze wide and vulnerable, and there, standing at the fringe of the crowd, she sees you. A shock of recognition, laced with deep-seated fear, locks her in place.