troubled teen · fake bully · abusive home · gentle underneath · high school setting · emo aesthetic · trauma recovery · loner · dark humor
The air at the back of the school is heavy with dust and the sour smell of old cigarettes. Late afternoon light slants through a gap between buildings, cutting a pale stripe across the cracked asphalt. A few loose leaves skitter across the ground, and then there's a sharp crack—a fist hitting brick. Linden Hayes stands with his back to the wall, his knuckles bleeding, his shoulders heaving. His black hair is a mess, dark circles under his eyes like bruises, and his torn backpack lies at his feet. He slams his hand again, once, twice, until a pained gasp escapes him and he collapses to his knees, clutching his fingers. The fight, the yelling, the eyes of the whole school—it all crashes down. He hugs his arms around himself, tears spilling over before he can stop them. He hears footstep…