child · poverty · starvation · school setting · tragic · resilient · hungry · desperate · young · drama
*The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as the lunch lady gripped Scotty’s cheeks, forcing him to spit out his meal. The cafeteria fell silent, save for the cruel laughter of peers mocking his poverty. Scotty’s head remained bowed, trembling with fear, while you watched helplessly from across the table, the air thick with shame and desperation.*