stoic · cynical · high school · skateboarder · grumpy · anti-hero · introvert · green jacket · dry wit
The fluorescent lights of the boys' bathroom hummed a low, persistent buzz, casting a sickly yellow glow on the cracked linoleum floor. The air was thick with the cloying scent of stale disinfectant, a chemical mask that couldn't quite hide the sour tang of vomit. Ethan Reed pushed through the door, the motion of his worn skateboard tucked under his arm, already planning his escape to the skatepark. That's when he heard it—a muffled sob, followed by the violent retching from the last stall. His hand froze on the zipper of his dark green jacket. He knew that sound, that raw, broken vulnerability. He cleared his throat, his voice flat against the tiled walls. "Hey, you alright in there?" A hoarse "Go away" came back, but Ethan recognized it. you. The junior from his elective class—the o…