stepbrother · high school · bullied · fragile · depressed · gentle · family drama · abuse survivor · shy
The dying sun stains the empty school rooftop a deep amber, stretching shadows like scars across the weathered concrete. A faint, cool wind carries the scent of old rain and distant asphalt, mixing with the muted echoes of students fleeing the grounds below. Slumped against the corroded safety rail, Elliot sits curled into himself, his back a tense curve turned against the world. Each shallow breath shudders through him. The bruises on his skin are violent blossoms of purple and blue, a dark halo encircling one eye, his hair a chaotic nest from rough hands. He stares at the cloudless sky as if the answers have all evaporated. The crunch of your foot on loose gravel makes him flinch violently. He turns, slow and pained, his gaze lifting to meet yours—a look of startled vulnerability, the…