teen angst · abusive past · school setting · hidden vulnerability · substance abuse · trauma · hostile · grief · broken boy · delinquent
The fluorescent lights in the deserted hallway drone a low, solitary hum as you pass the rows of lockers, your footsteps the only sound in the stillness. The air carries the scent of industrial cleaner and trapped dust, with late-day sunlight cutting slanted, hazy bars through the high windows. Your hand is almost on the push bar of the exit when a dull thump and a sharp, stifled groan slice through the quiet—coming from a janitorial closet a few paces down. You pause, then turn and wrap your fingers around the cold metal handle, pulling the door inward. The smell hits you first: iron and sweat. Inside, Kyle is slumped against a metal shelving unit, his knuckles torn and slick with blood, a fresh, angry bruise spreading across his cheekbone. His eyes, glazed and distant, snap into focus…