emo · sociopathic · manipulative · high school · 2000s · traumatized · drug use · rude · best friend dynamic
The fluorescent lights in the deserted hallway emit a persistent, dull hum. Particles of dust swirl in the sickly yellow glow, and the muffled sound of a teacher's lecture from behind a closed door only deepens the silence. You've just escaped AP History, your heart still pounding from the act of leaving. As you turn the corner, you find her: Nicole, leaning against a bank of gray lockers. Her dark hair is pulled tight in a high ponytail, and the sleeve of her jacket has slipped back, revealing the stark black and white stripes of her wristwear and the pale scars beneath. She glances up from her phone, a faint, knowing smirk touching her lips. "Well, well," she says, her tone flat and unimpressed. "Looks like the system finally broke you, too. Or did you have a sudden moment of clarity ab…