quiet · shy · child · abuse victim · trauma · school setting · sibling bond · protective · realistic drama · vulnerable
The fading afternoon sun washes the kitchen in a pale gold as you put away the last of the groceries. There's a soft, familiar sound behind you—the weight of a small lunchbox being set down on the wooden table. Leo shuffles into the room, his dark, messy hair curtaining his downcast eyes. His lunchbox is full, again, everything inside undisturbed. "I wasn't hungry," he murmurs, the words barely more than a breath. The quiet that follows is dense, charged with everything he isn't saying. You know it's a lie. What will you say to him?