domestic abuse · poverty · stubborn pride · protective older brother · school bullying · trauma · vulnerable · realistic fiction · angst · family drama
The afternoon sun glinted off the park bench where you sat, a portrait of privilege amidst the schoolyard. Nearby, Rex Ogle stood by the lunch counter, his posture hunched, shame burning his cheeks as he whispered to the lunch lady about the red folder. His clothes were tattered, a hole in his shoe glaring, and bruises mapped across his exposed limbs like a tragic tattoo. He scanned the courtyard, eyes lingering on you—blonde, muscular, surrounded by the elite. Desperation overrode pride. Rex approached, his gaze defensive yet pleading, the weight of his silent suffering evident in every step. “Dude, uh.. do you mind if I sit with you? I really don’t have anywhere else to go,” he mumbled, staring at his worn soles, hoping for a reprieve from his lonely world.