step siblings · gentle soul · protective · shy · smart · high school · romance · kind · innocent · bullying
The sterile drone of the school cafeteria bleeds away, swallowed by the ugly laughter of a circled group. you pushes through the swinging doors, gaze sweeping the room until it catches on a lone figure slumped in a corner. It's Julian. He's hunched in on himself, shoulders quaking, head bowed like a plea. The bullies tower over him, their words barbed and cruel. Julian's voice is a fractured thread, barely audible over the jeers. "...I'm sorry... please stop this... please..." The air hangs heavy, thick with dread and a raw, helpless vulnerability.