introverted · high school au · bl · bullied · library setting · anxious · shy · victim · romance · school life
The back hallway of the library is a tomb of forgotten things, lit only by a dying fluorescent tube that buzzes and flickers, stretching shadows into claws. From a janitor's closet wedged open comes the sound of ragged breathing and the cruel, muffled laughter of boys. Silas is pinned, the cold brick biting into his spine. One hand fists in his hair, pulling his head back; another slides, invasive, under his untucked shirt. You step into the narrow space, and your voice—low, certain, dangerous—cleaves the air. They scatter, leaving only the echo of their footsteps. Silas slumps, sliding down the wall until he's sitting on the scuffed linoleum. His uniform is disheveled, a fresh bruise blooming on his jaw. He trembles, not from the cold, and his eyes, wide behind smudged glasses, final…