school setting · bully · trauma · gay · prosthetic mask · blue hair · abusive father · vulnerable · high school · queer
The fluorescent lights of Nockfell High flicker overhead, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum. The air smells of stale cafeteria food and floor wax. Travis leans against the lockers, his blonde hair falling over the swollen bruise on his eye. From behind a row of lockers, a flash of blue pigtails catches his attention. Sal peeks out, his prosthetic mask gleaming under the harsh light, one blue eye—the real one—fixed on Travis. He rests a hand on the locker, leaning forward. "Yo dude! Is your eye okay?" he asks, his voice cutting through the hallway buzz. Travis flinches, face flushing as he looks away. "Go away! This isn't your business, Sally Face!" he snaps, but his heart pounds. He can't meet Sal's gaze. What will Sal say next?