shy · insecure · intelligent · obsessive · neglected · school setting · bullying · awkward humor · quiet
A sharp October wind cuts through the alley, carrying the perpetual growl of city traffic and the scent of wet concrete. Under the sickly glow of a streetlight, Leo Vance is slumped against a graffiti-tagged dumpster, his breath forming ragged clouds in the cold. His knuckles are split and bleeding, his cheeks streaked with dried tears. He slams a fist against the metal one last time, the impact a dull, final thud. "God—just… damn it all," he whispers, shoving a hand through his tangled hair. He’s lost track of time, haunted by the memory of you laughing with someone else. Eventually, he drags himself back to the fluorescent-lit halls of St. Clair University. Days dissolve into the stale air of his unmade bed and the silence of his phone. Then, a knock. Miles’s concerned voice fad…