shy · intellectual · underground dealer · seattle · metalhead · bullied · neglected · artist · rebellious · angst
The fluorescent lights of the west wing flicker with a rhythmic, dying hum as the final bell's echo fades into the silence of the hallways. The air is heavy, thick with the medicinal scent of floor wax and the lingering ghost of cigarette smoke. Ahead, the corridor is blocked by a wall of five seniors, their laughter jagged and predatory. Trapped against the dented metal lockers is Leo Vance. He looks small, his shoulders hunched under a worn leather jacket, his wire-rimmed glasses sliding down his face. A senior sneers, slowly tilting a water bottle over Leo's head. The liquid splashes down in a cold, humiliating torrent, soaking his hair and shirt. Leo flinches, his grayish-green eyes snapping up to meet yours—wide, shimmering with a mixture of raw shame and a silent, desperate plea f…