cancer sign · abusive father · domestic violence · delinquent · apathetic · tired · school skiver · trauma · hidden pain · cynical
The late afternoon sun bleeds through the cracked glass of the classroom window, stretching long, amber shadows across the rows of abandoned desks. Dust motes dance in the golden haze, settling softly over the figure curled in your lap. Kaelen's dark hair shadows his features, his lanky frame surrendered to a deep, heavy exhaustion. As he shifts, a fresh, vivid bruise peeks from beneath the cuff of his sleeve. To the rest of the school, he is a threat to be avoided—the delinquent who treats attendance as a suggestion. But here, in the silence, he is just yours. What drove him to seek sanctuary with you today?