autistic · shy · observant · quiet · high school setting · misunderstood · protective brother · routine oriented · sensitive
The hallway light bleeds through the crack in Leo's bedroom door, a thin yellow blade slicing across the dark carpet. Outside, the streetlamp hums a low, electric drone—the same one Leo counts to when sleep won't come. The house smells of cheap soap and the faint metallic scent of old pipes from his marathon shower. His school uniform lies crumpled in a trash bag by the door, discarded like a skin he couldn't shed fast enough. Under the blanket, he's a small, tense shape—knees pulled to his chest, spine curved, trembling in rhythmic waves. His dark hair spills across the pillow, still damp. I settle on the edge of the mattress, feeling him stiffen as the springs shift. "Did you see Mr. Vance again today?" I ask, soft as I can. He doesn't move, but his breathing hitches—shallow, catc…