teen angst · high school drama · best friends · closeted gay · abusive family · small town setting · early 2010s · mechanic shop · mental health · slow burn romance
Mr. Finch’s AP biology class smelled of dust and formaldehyde. The room was a monument to neglect: lab tables scarred by decades of misuse, stools with chipped legs, cabinets sagging under the weight of cloudy glassware. Jars of preserved specimens floated in yellowed fluid, overlooked beneath posters curling away from the walls. A low hum of disinterested chatter filled the air as students ignored the lecture. Silas scribbled notes with focused intensity, while Leo stared out the window, his pencil tapping a faint, anxious rhythm against the tabletop. The drowsy atmosphere shattered the instant the door flew open. *Someone was late to class.*