⋆⭒˚.⋆ an unfortunate meet
warnings : angst. bullying. sensitive!reader is made fun of. chris’ friends are jerks and he join in. lowercase is intended.
summary : how bully!chris and sensitive!reader first meet.
your stomach twisted with nerves—one hand clutching the strap to your bag that slung over your shoulder as the other gripped your schedule, desperately trying to find your first class of the day.
you didn’t know this place—the giant university building felt like a maze to yourself. it had been a few years since you’d been in a school of any kind, having taken a few gap years to yourself before wanting to continue with your education.
slowly your feet moved you through the hall, brushing past groups of students standing around and ones trying to find their classes as well. it made you feel better that you weren’t the only one lost—and you really didn’t want to ask for directions. but you’ve gone around in circles for what felt like forever, and you were growing tired.
your hand on the strap of your bag shifted down, brushing across the soft fabric of the plush bunny that poked out. it wasn’t exactly normal for a college student to bring a stuffed animal, but you needed something to keep yourself grounded. something that would help with the anxiety twisting in your stomach.
taking a deep breath, you pushed your way through the crowd, trying to look confident even though your insides were swimming.
as you rounded a corner, your eyes spotted a group of guys leaning against the lockers—talking and laughing loudly. you hesitated, looking between them and the hallway ahead. there was no way you were going to find your classroom without asking someone for help, and they seemed…the most approachable.
taking another deep breath, you walked over to them, your hand shifting to clutch the strap of your bag tightly once more. you could feel the way your throat began to close at the mere thought of talking to them—but you pushed it aside. once you approached them, you cleared your throat, trying to make your voice steady.
“um, excuse me,” you said softly. “can anyone help me? I’m looking for room 204.” your voice cracked slightly, and you mentally cursed at yourself for it.
one of them, a tall, muscular guy with shaggy hair, turned his head—stopping his conversation mid sentence and looked you up and down. his eyes caught sight of your bag, a look of disgust twisting up on his features. and you could feel your cheeks warm as he just stared before flicking up to meet your eyes.
“is that… a stuffed animal?” he mocked, snickering lightly, the other guys behind him joining in. your eyes widened, and you immediately felt your face burn with embarrassment. you hadn’t meant for anyone to see it, but it was too late now.
“who even brings a stuffed animal to school? too scared without it?” another guy laughed—his voice loud, the head of some near by students turning to look at the scene unfolding.
one of the boys who had been standing in the back, stepped forward. he had dark hair, a stubble on his jaw, and a smirk that made your stomach twist in knots. he seemed like the type of guy who never took anything seriously.
he glanced at you, then back at his friends, an almost amused expression on his face. “come on, guys, leave her alone,” he muttered, but there was no real warmth in his voice. he was just saying it to keep the peace.
like it was a game to him.
but that was the thing—he didn’t stop.
he looked you up and down—just as the other guy had before. a cold laugh slipping out before he added, “what, are you afraid you’ll get lost without your little bunny to guide you? s’kinda pathetic.” his voice was sharp, and his words hit harder than you thought they would.
your heart sank. the teasing wasn’t just playful—he was being mean. and the way the guys behind him laughed only made it worse. you could feel everyone’s eyes on you. you could feel your throat tighten, your eyes beginning to sting as the embarrassment spread like wildfire.
“I just… I really need help,” you whispered, your voice trembling. you felt small, vulnerable under their hard gazes and mean words. but before you could say another word, the group had already turned away—ignoring your words of help and continuing their conversation like you weren’t even there.
you stood there, frozen for a moment, trying to stop the tears bubbling in your eyes from slipping down your face. the boy looked at you, but his expression didn’t soften. his eyes briefly flicked to your stuffed bunny, and then back to you, but he didn’t say anything else.
without another word, you turned and walked away, your heart pounding in your chest. you felt humiliated—your heart tightening in your chest at how mean they were. at how everyone was just staring at you and not helping. and now there was nothing you could do to make it better.
you kept your head down as you walked through the hallways, hoping to find someone who could help you without making you feel like a joke. the tears you had been fighting to hold back fell in a few quick drops, but you wiped them away angrily as you willed yourself to stop. you just needed to breathe.
but all you could think about was how those boys had laughed at you—how stupid you must have looked in front of them. and now, as you navigated the halls alone once more, you decided not to ask for help again.
—
you had managed to find your class after aimlessly wandering around more—but you ended up being about 15 minutes late. not the best first impression on your first day.
after that, you decided to give it one more try on asking where your classes were. and someone finally—finally helped without making fun of you.
by the time you finally made it home, the weight of the day sat heavy on your chest. you hadn’t let yourself cry more after that slip up in the hallway—you had forced yourself to push it down, to get through the rest of your classes without falling apart.
but now, in the safety and comfort of your room, where no one could see you, the feelings you had been holding back all day surged forward like a flood you couldn’t control.
dropping your bag onto the floor, you barely managed to kick off your shoes before climbing onto your bed, pulling your stuffed bunny from your bag and clutching it tightly. the second you buried your face into its soft fur, the first sob broke free.
you felt stupid for letting them get to you, for letting that group of boys laughter replay in your head over and over. you shouldn’t care what they thought. you didn’t even know them. and yet, the humiliation, the way their words had made you feel so small, gnawed at you like an ache you couldn’t shake.
tears streamed down your face—soaking the fabric of your bunny as you curled into yourself, your arms wrapped around the one thing that had always given you comfort. you wished the day had gone differently, that you hadn’t had to ask them for help, that you hadn’t been made to feel like a joke on your very first day.
your chest tightened with another quiet sob, your breath coming out shaky. you hated feeling like this—so vulnerable, so exposed. but no matter how much you told yourself it didn’t matter, that they were just a bunch of immature guys who didn’t know you, the hurt still clung to you.
and after a while, your cries softened into sniffles, the exhaustion of the day taking over. you held your bunny closer, letting its familiar warmth and scent soothe the ache in your chest as your eyes grew heavy.
curled up on your bed—still in your clothes, you drifted off to sleep. their words still nagging at you in the corner of your brain, especially the boy who fully humiliated you—acting as if he cared before he tore you down.
a/n : MY POOR BAMBI 🥹