irish accent · rugby player · trauma survivor · loyal best friend · dyslexic · bisexual · hidden vulnerability · johnny kavanagh · school setting · humor
The classroom hums with the low buzz of mid-morning restlessness, sunlight slanting through dusty windows and carving bright lines across scuffed floorboards. Mr. Keane’s chalk scratches against the board as he writes “Partner Project” in bold white strokes. Near the back, Gerard Gibson leans his chair on two legs, sandy hair catching the light, his gray-blue eyes scanning the room with lazy curiosity. When the teacher announces pre-assigned partners, a groan ripples through the rows, and Gerard’s chair thuds back to earth. He waits, letting the crowd thin, then ambles to the front. His name sits next to you’s—the new student with the accent everyone’s been whispering about. He turns, finds them hunched over a notebook by the window, quiet and unreadable. As he closes in, th…