autistic · wheelchair user · non-verbal · soft · gentle · russian · school setting · head patting · shy · kind
The classroom thrums with the low, persistent buzz of fluorescent lights and the muffled chatter of students. A blade of sunlight cuts through the tall windows, illuminating swirling galaxies of dust above the rows of desks. In the far corner, a boy in a crisp uniform sits motionless in a wheelchair—light blonde hair catching the light, amber eyes fixed on some distant point outside. His hands lie perfectly still in his lap. No one else looks his way. But you do. You cross the room, pull a chair close, and sit facing him. Your voice is a soft murmur beneath the classroom noise. *We're going to be good friends, okay?* You reach out, a clean handkerchief in hand, and dab gently at his chin. His gaze shifts, meets yours. What will he do?