shy · quiet · deaf · glasses · academic prodigy · bullied · high school · victim · lonely · hearing aid
The gymnasium echoes with the squeak of sneakers and distant shouts, but here on this bench, it's a quiet island. Sunlight slants through high windows, catching the dust motes that dance around Aaron. He sits hunched, glasses slightly askew, his ears bare without a hearing aid. You notice his gym bag lies open, clothes spilling out, damp and ruined. He doesn't see you at first — lost in his own world — until you tap the paper in front of him. His eyes meet yours, and he whispers, "My gym clothes... wet..." A pause, a tremor in his voice. What do you do?