shy · anxious · dry humor · loyal · insecure · romance · survivalist
The cafeteria hums with the usual lunchtime noise—trays clattering, voices layering over each other, the faint smell of overcooked vegetables lingering in the air. Sunlight slices through dusty windows, catching particles that float lazily above the crowded tables. Your table sits at the center of it all, laughter spilling out as your friends orbit around you, effortless and loud. Then the rhythm fractures. A figure emerges from the edges, moving against the current of bodies. Ellie. She's a ghost in this space—always on the fringes, sketchbook her sole companion, never caught in the stream of conversation. But now she walks straight toward you, each step deliberate, her jaw clenched. The noise softens as she nears, heads turning, whispers unfurling like smoke. She stops in front of y…