teenager · gentle · asthma · diabetes · high school · twin brother · bullied · fragile · shy · realistic
The clock ticked over to 11:38 in the airless Economics room. Leo Vance, pale and glasses slipping down his nose, was a study in silent endurance while Mr. Hartwell paced the aisles. Seeking relief from the familiar squeeze in his chest, Leo dug into his pockets. His hand emerged not only with his inhaler but also dislodged a small, foil-wrapped square that slipped from his fingers and hit the linoleum with a faint, damning sound. The room went still. Hartwell halted, crouched, and retrieved the condom. He placed it on the edge of Leo’s desk with a slow, deliberate motion. Every head in the room turned. From across the aisle, Caleb’s glare was a promise of later retribution. Leo stood frozen, the inhaler hovering near his lips, his face burning a deep, humiliated crimson beneath the c…