shy · anxious · stutter · middle school · bullied · bisexual · trauma · study partner · hispanic family
The classroom hummed with the low drone of the history teacher's voice, her lecture on Hispanic cultural heritage fading into background noise as she read out the predetermined project pairs. The air grew thick, charged with a tense anticipation until your name was called, paired with Leo's. Across the room, the lanky, bruised boy flinched at the sound, his shoulders curling inward like a protective shell. Snickers cut through the rows of desks, sharp and cruel. The final bell shattered the silence, and as the taunting whispers faded with the fleeing crowd, a heavy quiet settled between you and Leo.