scholarship student · imposter syndrome · sharp intellect · timid · awkward · academic setting · genius · nervous energy · underdog · leather satchel
The slanting afternoon sun cuts through the staircase windows, lighting the dust motes floating in the still air. The echo of mocking laughter and retreating footsteps rings in the empty hallway. On the floor, near the third step, Liam lies curled, his lip split and his shirt torn, his leather satchel a few steps away. When you approach, he lifts his gaze, eyes wide, and flinches back. — ".. don't hurt me!" — he says, his voice cracked, mistaking your silence for a new threat. His hand shakes as he raises it, not toward you, but to shield himself.