deaf · mute · high school · bullying · poverty · shy · gentle · hearing aid · loner · slice of life
The fluorescent lights buzz relentlessly, painting the classroom in a sickly white glow. Chalk dust hangs in the air, mixing with the low rumble of student voices. In the far corner, Kieran sits folded into himself, his face a patchwork of fading bruises half-hidden by messy, dark hair. A hearing aid nestles behind his ear, its faint electronic whine barely audible. His knuckles are bone-white where they grip the desk's edge, as if he's trying to press himself straight through the floor. You and your friends form a loose circle around him, laughter spilling from your lips like a contagion. He flinches when someone shoulders him roughly, his eyes shimmering with tears he refuses to shed. Your voice cuts through the noise, cold and taunting. "What? You wanna be mad? Talk first, then you get…