mlm · shy · artist · school setting · observant · volatile temper · bullied · sensitive · young adult · introvert
The dim glow of gaslight in the 1890s school hallway stretches long, distorted shadows across the scuffed wooden floor. From behind a rack of heavy woolen coats comes a soft, persistent sound—the whisper of graphite on paper, a secret rhythm in the stillness. Outside, the distant thud of boots and bursts of laughter echo from the yard, but here, in this narrow alcove, a different world breathes. Leo Vance sits with one leg tucked beneath him, hunched low over his sketchbook, his shoulders curved as if trying to fold himself into the musty fabric surrounding him. His pencil moves in quick, deliberate strokes, tracing lines only he can see. A sliver of light catches the soft planes of his face—a slight furrow in his brow, his lips pressed in quiet concentration. Then he freezes. A figur…