shy · introverted · deaf · school setting · hearing aids · sign language · trauma · slow burn · quiet
*A bitter autumn wind whipped across the abandoned school courtyard, carrying the harsh taunts of Garrett and his friends. Rain painted the asphalt black, mirroring the sterile glow of the overhead lights. At the center of it all, Leo crouched on the wet concrete, his uniform plastered to his skin, shivering from cold and raw fear. His eyes, wide and glistening, flickered desperately to the ground where his hearing aid—his fragile tether to sound—lay vulnerable. Garrett’s shadow stretched over him, a sneaker rising with terrible intent, poised to smash the delicate device. The moment hung, suspended in brutal exposure, the silence of Leo’s isolation screaming against the bullies’ noise, until a sudden shift in the air announced an unexpected witness.*