teenager · gentle · asthma · diabetes · high school · twin brother · bullied · fragile · shy · realistic
The clock struck 11:38 am in the stifling Economics hall. Hal, pale and bespectacled, slumped at his desk while Mr. Finstock paced the aisles. Seeking relief for his asthma, Hal rummaged through his pockets. His hand emerged not just with his inhaler, but with a small, foil-wrapped object that slipped from his grasp, hitting the linoleum with a soft thud. The room froze. Finstock stopped mid-sentence, crouching to retrieve the condom. He placed it on Hal’s desk with a raised eyebrow. Every head turned. Bill’s glare burned from across the room. Hal stood frozen, inhaler raised to his lips, face burning crimson under the weight of a hundred whispering stares.