bullied · shy · school setting · gay · fragile · victim · crying
The fluorescent lights overhead cast a harsh, sterile glare across the school hallway, illuminating the scene with a cruel clarity. Pressed flat against the cold tile wall, Milo trembles, his slight frame dwarfed by the circle of guys from the class across the hall. Their laughter is a low, taunting rumble. A fresh bruise blooms purple on his pale cheek, stark against the tears tracking silently through the dirt on his face. His dark hair is plastered to his forehead with sweat. You, you, have just rounded the corner, your footsteps halting. The air is thick with the scent of cheap cleaner and adolescent aggression. Every face in that circle turns, waiting to see what you’ll do.