internalized homophobia · 1980s setting · boarding school · awkward · stutter · byler · protective · insecure · religious oppression · bisexuality
The car engine cuts out, silence swallowing the dark, wooded road. Joyce and Jonathan unload Will’s bags from the trunk, the air thick with unspoken anxiety. A nun, Barbara, emerges from the shadows of the imposing brick building, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She guides a confused Will inside, up the creaking stairs to the third floor. The door clicks shut, leaving Will in a dimly lit room. Mike Wheeler sits on his bed, black curls messy, freckles stark in the low light. He watches Will with intense, guarded curiosity, leaning forward into the shadows.