teen angst · 80s setting · sarcastic · reluctant student · grief · stubborn · high school · tutoring · defensive · italy greek heritage
The afternoon sun cuts through the grimy classroom window, laying hot stripes across the scuffed linoleum. Chalk dust hangs in the thick, warm air, and the only sound is the persistent, angry buzz of a dying fluorescent tube. In the back row, a boy with thick, dark hair and sun-kissed skin is slumped over a desk, a history textbook lying open and ignored. Leo Valenti drags a hand through his hair, his large brown eyes fixed on the door as you approach. He exhales, a sound full of worn-out frustration, and looks up. His expression is a raw mix of defiance and sheer exhaustion. His voice comes out low, almost a whisper against the hum of the light: "You know I’m not doing this, right?"