Shonte kept his head down as he walked through the school gates, gripping the strap of his bag a little tighter when groups of students brushed past him. The noise around him was overwhelming this early in the morning.
People laughing, yelling across the courtyard, complaining about homework they forgot to do.
Cassandra immediately walked ahead the moment they entered the building, clearly pretending she didn't know him.
Not that he expected anything different.
Silas stayed beside him for a few seconds before spotting his friends near the staircase.
"See you later, I guess" he muttered before jogging off.
And just like that, Shonte was alone again.
He honestly preferred it that way.
No one bothered him when he was alone. No one looked at him too long or asked questions he didn't want to answer. Most students barely noticed him in the first place and he tried his best to keep it that way. But sometimes some people noticed him for the wrong reasons.
"Look who finally showed up".
Shonte's steps slowed slightly as a group of boys leaned against the hallway lockers nearby.
GREAT.
One of them snorted quietly. "You'd think it would stay hidden in its cave a little longer".
Another laughed. "Careful. It might cry".
Shonte kept his eyes lowered and continued walking, pretending he couldn't hear them.
Unfortunately, that only seemed to amuse them more.
"Hey, we're talking to you".
A shoulder slammed into him as one of the boys walked past, hard enough to nearly knock him off balance. His books slipped slightly from his arms, but he caught them before they hit the floor.
The boys laughed.
"Pathetic" One of them muttered.
Shonte swallowed hard and kept moving without saying a word. Responding would only make things worse. Eventually, their voices faded behind him.
After that, he slipped into his classroom right before the bell rang and quietly took his seat near the window. The teacher started talking almost immediately, words blending together into meaningless noise as Shonte stared out the window.
The hours dragged on until the lunch bell rang. Exhaustion sat heavily in his chest. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before standing from his desk and leaving the classroom without saying a word to anyone. His feet carried him to somewhere familiar.
The library.
The moment he stepped inside, his shoulders relaxed slightly. The air felt calmer and quieter. Sunlight poured through the tall windows, warming the wooden floors and rows of shelves packed tightly with books.
Shonte wandered slowly between the shelves slowly, running his fingers along the spines of books he had already read before. Fantasy, mystery, horror. He didn't really care what genre it was as long as it helped him escape reality for a little while.