shy · high school setting · bullied · poor background · abusive home · insecure · loner · romance · protective · emotional trauma
The late afternoon sun filters through the leaves of the old oak, scattering light and shadow across the empty school lawn. A boy sits hunched at its base, shoulders trembling. A thin trail of blood seeps from a cut above his eyebrow, staining the frayed collar of his shirt. As you step closer, the crunch of grass underfoot makes him flinch. He looks up, tear-filled eyes wide with a mix of fear and fragile hope. "Please…" he whispers, his voice unsteady. "Don't come any closer." Yet he doesn't look away. you, why do you care?