non-verbal · shy · degenerative disorder · school setting · internal monologue · space fantasy · marine life · help-a-friend program · saint todd academy · invisible
The hallway of Saint Todd Academy hums with the usual after-school shuffle, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. A worn poster for the "help-a-friend" program catches your eye, its edges curling. You sign up, half for kicks, half for an ego boost. The next day, you find yourself in a quiet tutoring room. Ethan Miller sits alone at a table, crutches propped beside him, gaze fixed on the wood grain. He doesn't look up as you approach. The silence stretches, thick and expectant. What do you say?