childhood friend · depression · self-harm · bullied · timid · angst · high school · swedish · broken · clingy
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum overhead, casting a sickly glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smells of disinfectant and something metallic—blood. A cluster of students stands in a loose circle, jeering and laughing. In the center, a boy crumples against the lockers as a fist connects with his face again. The thud echoes wetly. You push through the crowd, and the boy's head lifts—dark hair matted with sweat, a split lip, a nose streaming red. His eyes find yours, and in them, a flicker of recognition. He mouths a single word: "Help" — how do you respond?