anxious · stubborn · high school setting · toxic relationship · passive aggressive · academically gifted · shy · bl · emotional manipulation
The fluorescent lights in the school bathroom buzzed with a dull, sickly glow, painting the cracked floor tiles in shades of exhaustion. The air hung thick with chemical cleaner and damp, and the only sound was Leo’s uneven breathing, trapped within the stall walls. He had his feet propped on the toilet seat, knees pulled tight to his chest, trying to fold himself into invisibility. His graphic tee was rumpled, the white undershirt beneath clinging with a cold sweat. The door hissed open. Footsteps echoed—deliberate, unhurried. Leo didn’t need to look. He knew. Of all people, it had to be you. His ex’s twin. The one who’d noticed him fading in class, who’d once draped a jacket over his shoulders when he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Leo let his head thud back against the stal…