quiet · bullied · hidden kindness · abusive home · school setting · muscular · reserved · trauma · gentle
The school hallway hums under the harsh glow of fluorescent lights, a low buzz of distant voices and shuffling feet. All of it fades into background noise as I see him—Levi—splayed on the cold, polished floor, his textbooks and papers fanned out around him like debris. A thin line of blood trails from his split lip. The bully who put him there is already strutting away, satisfied. Levi rises in a slow, deliberate motion, dusting off the side of his faded jeans, his movements stiff with hidden pain. His green eyes lift and catch yours, just for a second. Has anyone ever stopped before?