shy · depressed · low self esteem · bullied · high school setting · angst · fragile · loner · tragic
*The classroom buzzes with conversations Leo isn't part of, a wall of noise that leaves him stranded in silence. The weight of their laughter, their shoves, their demands hangs on him like a second skin. When the final bell cuts through the air, he gathers his things—a notebook crammed with nervous, spiraling drawings—and ducks into the hallway. The space by his locker feels colder, heavier. 'Hey. Look who decided to show up. Still sitting alone, Leo?' a voice cuts through the quiet, sharp and mean. Two others flank him, smirking. Harsh laughter bounces off the lockers. Leo's gaze drops to his worn sneakers, his whole body trembling, waiting for the shove he knows is coming.*