FLIGHTLESS BIRD // Detroit Become Human High School AU |Connor x Reader x Markus

Chapter 1: Falling Swan

You could hear the roar of the crowd. The many people clapping in unison, a monotone sound, fast and slightly impatient. The silence after the sound was expectant. You could see the red velvet curtain rise in front of you again, the faces of what seemed to be every student in the school staring back at you. You began your dance, moving slowly in time with music. You could hear the teachers voice in the back of your head. "Left leg up, right arm stretched. Right leg up..." You spun. You were a swan. They always told you that you were the swan. But you wanted to fly. Right now; you felt like you were drowning. You could feel their eyes on you, staring you down. You couldn't mess this up. Not with everyone staring. Everyone judging you. You misplaced a step by accident. Not now, not like this. You quickly pretended it was part of the dance. That worked. Hopefully they didn't notice. You spun, arms outstretched above your head. You wanted to fly. You could hear the audience gasp audibly. A little more. You had to dance faster. Spin faster. You weren't paying any attention to the rest of the world. There was only you and the sound of the music. You could hear the crack before you realized what it meant. You looked up just in time to see the wires that held the lights above your head slip. It fell towards you. You couldn't move or react. Your wings were broken. The swan fell into the darkness; a flightless bird forever more.

RINGGGGG RINGGGGG RINGGGGG

You gasped awake. The unbearably loud alarm clock on your bed side table rang. You slammed your fist over it. It stopped abruptly. The silence was just as unbearable. You stood up slowly, gently putting your bad foot on the floor. You winced, even though it was no longer twisted. Every time you had that dream, the pain always seemed to return with it. You glanced hesitantly over at the calendar hung on your bedroom wall. Today was the day. Your first day at Detroit High School.

---

You sat in the car, staring out the window as the trees and buildings flew past.

This time things would be different. This time, you would not be 'the swan'. You would be that girl that sits at the back of the class. That girl who hides in the shadows. That girl who goes unnoticed.

Transferring into Detroit High School was your parents choice. A fresh start at a new high school. A place where no one would know your name. At least, that's what you had hoped for.

---

The school was huge. Just from the car window, you could already see what seemed to be hundreds of students entering. They all looked like clones, wearing the same uniform.

The uniform composed of a grey jacket for boys, with a blue triangle on the left pocket. For girls, it was a white buttoned shirt, with a similar grey jacket over the top. You wore a blue skirt underneath along with a pair of plain black socks and boots. Your hair was simple, worn as you always wore it. Your [eye colour] eyes stood out against your uniform. They were always like that.

You could feel the pit in your stomach grow wider. You didn't think you could do this. But your mother practically pushed you out of the car, encouraging you to do your best, and that this time, things would be different. As she drove away, you gulped looking up at the looming building in front of you. Slowly you walked towards it, each step taking you further and further away from safety.

The school seemed even bigger on the inside. There were students everywhere. You held you books close to your chest as you darted around them, trying to find your way to your locker. You could already categorise each kind of person you passed. There were the jocks, clearly with more muscles than sense. They threw a football to each other as they chortled up the hallway. There were the rebels, students who didn't give into the rules. They were in their small groups, yet stood out among everyone else in their unique clothing and hairstyles. They glared at you as you passed, and you quickly looked away. You passed a group of popular girls, whispering to one another. When one met your eye, she snickered. Then there were the nerds; they stood outside one of the classroom doors, textbooks in hand, discussing some topic that was beyond you.