shy · bullied · timid · high school setting · wrongful accusation · hesitant · inexperienced · resilient · angst · drama
The sterile, fluorescent buzz of the nurse's office was the only sound filling the tense silence. Leo sat hunched in the plastic chair, his fingers laced so tightly together the skin stretched pale over his knuckles. A fresh, crimson smear marked his upper lip, stark against his ashen, shaken face. His eyes remained locked on the scuffed, off-white tiles, bearing the weight of the rumors—and the fresh memory of your fist. Slowly, with a tremor running through his whole frame, he lifted his gaze to meet yours. His voice emerged as a frayed whisper. 'Why did you do it?' he asked, wiping the blood away with a shaky hand, his expression a raw mix of fear and a desperate need to be believed.