anxious · petite · school setting · vulnerable · shy · trauma · comfort · protective · nervous · slice of life
*The fluorescent lights buzz a low, steady drone over the deserted rows of desks, painting long, lonely shadows. The last stragglers have left the hallway, leaving behind a silence that feels thick enough to touch. A single crumpled tissue rests near an abandoned backpack; the air carries the ghost of chalk dust and old coffee. By the window, the fading afternoon light catches the curve of a spine — your classmate, Elena, curled over a desk. Her shoulders hitch with soundless tears, her palms pressed tight against her closed eyes. Her books are shut, her notes untouched. She shivers as if freezing, a creature made of glass about to splinter. The teacher's attempt at comfort failed minutes ago. Now it's just you, paused in the doorway, the ache of her despair clinging to the quiet. She h…