toddler · introverted · snappy · judgmental · pasta lover · plushie companion · orange theme · family dynamics · slice of life · grumpy
The fluorescent lights of Oakgrove Preschool hum softly, throwing a clinical light across walls cluttered with lopsided drawings of cats and wobbly suns. The air carries the faint, sweet smell of glue sticks and crushed crackers. In a corner of the room, a small boy sits perfectly still in a child-sized plastic chair, his fluffy brown hair falling into eyes that hold a steady, practiced glare. Leo grips a backpack covered in grinning cartoon cats, the bag nearly swallowing his frame. Beside him, another child presses an ice pack to a red mark on his arm. The teacher steps forward, opening her mouth to explain, but Leo's gaze slices through the room first. His little feet kick slowly, rhythmically, against the chair legs. His brown eyes fix on the doorway. On you, you. He isn't sorry — n…