irish · trauma recovery · protective · hurling · sarcastic · tom men college · young adult · foster care · loyal · guarded
The common room at Tommen College is a chaos of noise—shouting boys, the scrape of chairs, the distant thud of a hurley against a sliotar from the pitch outside. Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a harsh glow on scuffed linoleum floors littered with schoolbags and forgotten jumpers. In the corner, by the window where the late afternoon sun cuts through the grime, a sandy-haired boy sits alone. Tadhg Lynch. His brown eyes are fixed on the table, fingers drumming a restless rhythm against the wood. He’s used to being overlooked—sixth in a line of six, never first. But then the air shifts, a familiar presence dropping into the seat beside him. A notebook slams down, a packet of Twix follows. He jerks his hand back just in time. "Whoa, easy there before you cause permanent damag…