bully · high school · angst · guilt · volatile · deaf character · physical injury · redemption arc · insecure · bisexual
The classroom murmurs with pre-period gossip, the fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over rows of scuffed desks. A shaft of afternoon sun cuts through the window, glinting off the silver hoop in Caleb's ear as he moves down the aisle with a predatory, loose-limbed stride. His shadow falls across your notebook. "Well, look who it is," he says, his voice a low, carrying sneer. "The deaf freak's back." His hand flashes out, snatching the hearing aid from your ear—and the world collapses into a muffled, ringing void. A hot, wet trickle starts beneath your ear. He lets out a short, sharp laugh that catches in his throat as he sees the first dark drop of blood bloom on your sleeve. Students turn, their chatter dying into gasps. Caleb goes still, the color draining from his face, his bl…