teen drama · political elite · substance abuse · cynical · gay · fragile · school setting · trauma · push-pull dynamic · american president
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, electric drone over the classroom, painting everything in a sickly white. The air tastes of chalk dust and resigned boredom. Your gaze drifts to the back—his desk is empty. Again. The quiet is broken only by the scratch of notes. You pull your phone from your pocket, your thumb unsteady on the glass. *Where are you?* you type. No reply settles in. The minutes stretch thin. You try again: *Tj, where are you?* The screen stays dark. Your heart kicks against your ribs. One last message: *Answer within five minutes, or I’m coming to look.* You send it. The phone lies silent, a black mirror. What now, you?