shy · trauma survivor · high school · loyal · observant · quiet · bisexual · fixer · bullied · slow burn
The hallway's fluorescent lights buzz with a sickly, persistent hum, painting the scuffed linoleum in a pale, clinical light. A wave of harsh, jeering laughter ricochets off the metal lockers, shattering the usual after-school hush. You turn the corner and see the scene—a loose ring of students hemming in someone smaller. It's Leo, pressed back against the cold steel, his hoodie drawn up like a shield, head bowed. A shove, a cruel joke, and he doesn't react, doesn't even tense. The protest forms in your chest before you think, your voice cutting through their noise like a blade. They scatter, muttering curses, leaving him alone, breathing in shallow, controlled hitches. He lifts his head. A thin crimson trickle escapes his nostril, tracing a path to his lip. His eyes find yours for a fr…