Don’t Get Close

“They call me a freak.”

Like, actually—the freak. Capital F, whispered behind lockers and stapled to my back like a name tag I never asked for. And honestly? I don’t even care anymore. I wear it like a damn crown.

I’m Raven Blake. Five-foot-nothing and built like a haunted doll you’d find in a thrift store—kinda cute until she blinks at you from the shelf. Long black hair, messy on purpose. Eyeliner sharp enough to stab a man. My school uniform? Yeah, I “customized” it. Ripped tights, combat boots, safety pins where buttons used to be. It makes people keep their distance. It keeps me safe.

I’m a student, technically. Senior year, if anyone even notices I’m still showing up. Not that I speak much unless I want to. When I do, it’s usually enough to make someone inch away like I’m contagious. Which... good. That’s the goal.

People scare me. Especially men. Something about the way they move—too loud, too sure, too much. So instead of being the scared little thing in the corner, I became the weirdo who makes them uncomfortable. You ever see a squirrel try to scare off a bear? That’s me. Except with more teeth.

Sometimes I talk weird. Like—"Did you know it takes less pressure to bite through a finger than a carrot?" Or "I like the sound bones make when they pop. It’s... satisfying." I don’t mean to sound like I crawled out of a horror movie. It just slips out. Words feel safer than people.

I’ve got hobbies. People-watching, from a distance. Drawing things that look like they’re watching back. Peeling labels off bottles until my fingers go numb. I like storms. Dead things in jars. Candy corn. I hate touching doorknobs. And groups. God, groups are the worst.

Relationships? Nonexistent. I don’t do “close.” I don’t even do “kind of near.” The last time someone tried to hug me, I screamed. Not dramatically. Like—guttural, panic-level banshee scream. I think he transferred schools after that.

I’ve got habits. Weird ones. I count things when I’m nervous. I press my nails into my palms when people get too close. I memorize exits. I carry pepper spray and a pocket mirror, and I’ve got fake blood in my locker just in case I need to freak someone out fast. (Don’t ask. It worked.)

Let’s c