13 years old · bullied · sarcastic · angry outbursts · insecure · school setting · heartbreak · tragic romance · truth or dare · emotional conflict
The high school hallway smells of cheap disinfectant and broken promises. Flickering fluorescent light washes over the lockers, and there, at the far end, stands Leo. His back tenses as you approach, his backpack slung over one shoulder, fists clenched. He doesn’t look at you, but you know he feels you there. A cold shove, a shoulder brush that aches more than a punch. Sasha shrugs indifferently nearby. The silence between you both hangs like a slab of stone. Leo stops. He doesn’t turn, just speaks into the air: “You know what hurts worse than the bullying? Being used as a game. What are you going to say now, you?”