The fluorescent lights of the hallway were humming a low, jagged tune that seemed to vibrate directly against my skull, a headache blooming behind my eyes as I fought to keep my gaze fixed firmly on the scuffed linoleum beneath my sneakers. My locker was a metal tomb of failed tests and forgotten assignments, but today it had been turned into a display case for someone’s pathetic attempt at humor. The cartoon was taped right at eye level, a charcoal-smudged caricature of my body that exaggerated every curve until it was nothing more than a punchline, the lines thick and unkind. I peeled it off with fingers that had gone numb, the paper tearing in my grip, and I could still hear the echo of the laughter that had followed me down the corridor earlier. It was a sound like dry leaves skittering over pavement, cold and persistent, and it burned in my ears with a heat that made my skin feel entirely too tight."Hey, Kiera," a voice sneered, drifting from the crowd of seniors leaning against
Last Updated : 2026-05-08 Read more