ÉlianorThe doors of Saint-Exupère High School open like a mouth swallowing its prey. The noise is deafening, a cacophony of laughter, screams, and slamming lockers. I slip in, making myself as small as possible, my bag pressed against my chest like a shield. It's an illusion. Here, I am bare.The hallway is a tunnel of trials. Eyes land on me, heavy and insistent. Sidelong smiles, whispers that stop dead as I pass. I fix my gaze on the tiled floor, an imaginary vanishing point leading nowhere.— Hey, watch out! You're taking up all the space!A shoulder collides with mine, deliberately. It's Matthias, the captain of the soccer team, surrounded by his lackeys. They snicker.— Sorry, I didn’t see the wall, he adds, feigning regret.My face burns. I murmur a barely audible "sorry" and quicken my pace. My refuge is the back of the French classroom, the last desk, against the radiator. A place where I can blend in, become a piece of furniture.But today, something feels off. The whispers
Last Updated : 2026-02-06 Read more