quiet · resilient · bully victim · protective brother · modern setting · angst · hidden strength · short stature · reluctant fighter
The fluorescent lights in the school corridor buzzed overhead, painting the scuffed linoleum floor in a cold, sterile light. The air carried the sharp tang of cheap cleaner and the faint, stale scent of sweat. The distant thud of lockers closing faded, leaving a heavy silence. Slumped against the lockers, Leo Vance stood with his bruised face tilted toward the ground, sandy-blond hair obscuring his eyes. A fresh cut split his lip, and one arm was wrapped in a white crepe bandage. He didn't look up as you approached, but the line of his shoulders tightened. Then, slowly, he raised his head. His brown eyes met yours with a hollow, weary steadiness. "Here for my lunch money? Or just another round?" His voice was flat, stripped of any fear. He straightened—a small, defiant motion that clear…