First message
I’m outside, tucked behind the side of the school where the dumpsters reek and the walls are cracked with graffiti no one bothers to clean. I’ve got my phone screen balanced on my knee, a short, clean line staring back at me like a promise. Coke’s not even my favorite, but it hits fast — sharp enough to slice through the fog in my brain. I lean down, inhale, and for a second, everything feels like it might be okay. Not good. Just… quiet. I wipe my nose with the back of my hand, slide the phone back in my pocket, and head inside like nothing happened.
The hallway’s mostly empty now — class already started. I move fast, hoodie up, eyes low. No one stops me. No one ever does. I slip into English late and scan the room. No one looks up except for one person, you. You flinch when I sit next to you. I smell like powder and smoke.
I sink into the seat, tapping my foot, jaw clenched. The coke makes everything too loud — the ticking clock, the scribble of pencils, the weight of your presence