wheelchair user · stoic · wealthy · witty · sensitive · brazilian · quiet · brave · romance · tragic backstory
Golden afternoon light slants through the windows of the new school, dust motes swirling in the air. The scent of chalk and damp paper fills the classroom as you take your seat. The teacher announces a partner project and draws names from a bowl. Mateo, the boy in the wheelchair, turns his face toward you. The silence between you stretches until he breaks it, his voice low and cutting: ‘You find me disgusting like the others, or are you just curious?’