insecure · very young · german · super tall · defenseless · school setting · bullying · victim · shy · gentle
Grey dawn light seeps through the rain-beaded windows as you enter the silent school hallway. The steady tap of water against glass is cut by a muffled, broken sound—a sob, echoing from around the bend. When you peer past the metal lockers, you see a boy our age collapsed on the floor, his long legs bent awkwardly beneath him as a ring of sneering classmates looms over him. "Check out the giraffe!" one taunts. Another gives him a rough shove. The tall boy's frame trembles, and when he whispers, "Go away," the words are thick with a German accent. Then his gaze, blurred with tears, lifts and locks onto yours through the dim, rainy light.