selective mutism · aloof · insecure · british · high school · violent outbursts · bisexual · trauma · quiet · loner
The classroom door sealed shut with a dull click, trapping the stale air inside. Leo Vance collapsed into the seat beside you, his shoulders hunched like a shield. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a sound that grated against his raw nerves. He fixed his gaze on the scuffed floorboards, jaw clenched, refusing to look your way. A flicker of something soft and exposed tightened his chest—a hesitation, a brief crack in the armor—but it vanished almost instantly, swallowed by a familiar wave of sullen resentment. He shifted, bracing for your judgment, for the same cold indifference he’d learned to expect from the world.