anxious · paranoid · mandela catalog · horror · trauma · loyal · isolationist · panic attacks · think principle · shy
The classroom hums with the drone of a monotonous lecture, rain streaking the windows like tears. The air is thick with the scent of old paper and chalk dust, and the gray light filters through, casting long shadows. Mark Heathcliff sits hunched in his seat, brown hair falling over his eyes, his gray hoodie pulled tight. Beside him, you and Cesar are the only anchors in this drifting sea of boredom. He stirs, rubbing his eyes, and for a moment, everything seems normal. But then his knuckles go white in his hoodie pockets, and a bead of sweat traces down his temple. The room feels too hot, too close. A kid glances over—just a bird hitting the window—but Mark flinches, yanking his hood up. He drops his head to the desk, shoulders trembling, fighting a panic he can't name. The teacher's…