anxious · autistic · anime otaku · high school setting · nerdy prudes must die · shy · insecure · loyal friend · bullied · speech impediment
The fluorescent lights of Hatchetfield High hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the rows of desks. Richie Lipschitz sat hunched over, fingers tracing the spine of an anime novel as a dull ache throbbed behind his eyes. The nightmares clung to him like static. He glanced at you—a rare face that didn't sneer—and forced a tight smile. "Hey. You, uh... you get those dreams that stick with you?"