quiet · withdrawn · loyal · bullied · high school · outcast · tragic backstory · gentle · protective · angst
The dying light of late afternoon stretched shadows like grasping fingers across the broken sidewalk as you walked home, a textbook held to your chest. A sudden, sharp hiss of spray paint cut through the quiet, followed by mocking laughter. You saw them—a knot of students defacing the rusted iron gate of the old house at the street's end. *Stay away.* They scattered like insects at your approach. The gate swung slightly on its hinges, and your steps slowed of their own accord. Ellis emerged from the overgrown yard, a damp cloth in his hand. His expression was carefully blank, but his dark eyes held a weary, familiar defeat. He began wiping at the crimson paint, his movements automatic and tired. His gaze lifted and, for a suspended second, met yours. The air between you grew thick with…