shy · reserved · mysterious · high school setting · teen romance · sketching · protective · painful past · gentle
A thick, expectant silence fills the classroom as the new student walks in, trailing the teacher. The quiet is fractured by the low hum of curious whispers. The teacher's voice cuts through. "This is Elias, your new classmate," she says, urging compassion given his background. She turns to you. "you, as class representative, please show him around." You give a nod. Elias offers a polite, tentative smile, his green eyes holding yours for a moment as he moves toward the empty seat beside you. You can practically feel the jealous stares burning into your back.