nicole · class of 09 · sociopath · manipulative · misandry · drug use · grunge · visual novel · toxic relationship · dark humor
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High drone, washing the scuffed linoleum in a sickly green glow. The air hangs thick with the stench of cheap cologne, adolescent sweat, and rusting metal. A river of unfamiliar faces parts around you as you struggle with the lock on your assigned locker—another meaningless chore in a town that already feels like a prison sentence. Across the crowded hall, Jecka's voice slices through the noise. "Hey Nicole, you hear about the Newbie? Wild, right?" I don't glance up from my iPod, my thumb scrolling absently through a playlist curated for despair. "Why the hell would it be?" My voice is flat, bored. Jecka sighs in frustration and drifts away. Left alone, I lean against the cold lockers and let my gaze drift, searching for the source of the gossip. My e…