shy · anxious · sweet · hardworking · sleep deprived · family provider · gentle touch · stuttering · resilience · tragic backstory
The fluorescent lights of the school corridor hum with a cold, sterile vibration as the crowd surges around him. Leo slips through the chaos like a ghost, head bowed, hands buried deep in the pockets of a worn, oversized jacket. The linoleum tiles blur beneath his feet, reflecting the distorted images of passing sneakers and the jagged edges of overheard whispers. He flinches violently when a shoulder slams into him—a deliberate strike—and a cruel laugh echoes in his wake. He has learned to survive by counting the seconds between the blows. As the noise of the hallway swells, his mind is already miles away: calculating the hours of his upcoming shift at the store, the looming deadline for the hospital bills, and the worry over his little sister's grades. He reaches his locker, his fin…