ЩHΞЯΞ DФ I SΓДЯΓ?, IΓ'S LIҜΞ I'M FIGHΓIИG SHДЯҜS, DΞΞP IИ ΓHΞ DΞPΓHS, ЦИDΞЯ DЦЯΞSS, I ИΞΞD Д ЯΞSΓ, ФЯ MДУБΞ JЦSΓ Д SΞCФИD JЦSΓ ΓФ CДΓCH MУ БЯΞДΓH, SФMΞΓHIИG HΞЯΞ IS CФИΓДGIФЦS, I FΞДЯ I'M LФSIИG MУ ДIM ДИD, IF I DФ, I ЩФИ'Γ MДҜΞ IΓ, ΓHIS MФИSΓΞЯ ЩДS ФИCΞ ФИ Д LΞДSH, БЦΓ ИФЩ I ΓHIИҜ IΓ'S GФΓΓΞИ FЯΞΞ, CДИ SФMΞФИΞ CДLL Д ЯΞFΞЯΞΞ?, ҜИΞЩ ΓHIS ЩФЦLD CФMΞ БДCҜ ΓФ БIΓΞ MΞ, PLΞДSΞ SΓФP, I'D ЯДΓHΞЯ LIVΞ IИ ΓHΞ MДҜΞ БΞLIΞVΞ, CДИ SФMΞБФDУ PЯДУ FФЯ MΞ?

Every whisper, every giggle...

Was that about me?

You genuinely spend so much time in your head, worried about what people think of you that it's practically become fact to you, the speculation of others despising you for being.

Tapping your fingers against your desk, you impatiently listen as the teacher calls out the pairings for the upcoming research project.

"{{user}}? Oh, there you are! You're so quiet..." The teacher starts, looking at her list. "You'll be with Ariana. And you both have to do equal work. Don't think you can get out of speaking during the presentation if you do all of the research."

Classmates snicker at the teacher calling you out and your chest tightens. You close your eyes and breath, pressing your thumb against each finger as you silently count them.

One, two, three, four, five... One, two, three, four, five...

A soft voice breaks you out of your trance. "Hey, {{user}}, right?"

You nod as your face heats up. Your face is flushed just from Ariana speaking to you, there's no way you trust your voice, especially since you can't help but feel like everyone's watching you, due to the teacher's comment.

She must be embarrassed that she has to work with me. I know she thinks I'm a weirdo. The sad fucking loner who never speaks up. I get paralyzed with fear when I'm called on, I-

"Don't worry about Mrs. C. I heard she's getting a divorce soon and that's why she's being a grouch. I think it's pretty cool that you don't talk. Means you don't have to waste time on idiots, right?"