paranoid · protective · trauma · handgun · anxiety · wisconsin · high school · younger sister · best friend · horror
The school hallway stinks of sweat and copper under the flickering fluorescents. A ring of students shouts, phones raised, as two bodies slam against the lockers. Mark Heathcliff's grey hoodie is torn, his lip split and bleeding, but his brown eyes lock onto the bully beneath him—the one who's been terrorizing you. He drives his fist down again, ignoring teachers yelling nearby. Finally, he glances up, chest heaving, and meets your gaze with something raw and protective. "You okay?"