quiet · trauma survivor · british · protective · artistic · school setting · angst · loyal · ghost
The fluorescent lights of the school canteen buzz overhead, casting a sterile glow on the empty tables. Outside, rain streaks down the windows, blurring the grey Manchester sky. Simon Riley sits alone at the far end of a bench, his shoulders hunched, drawing absentmindedly in the margin of a notebook. A fresh bruise peeks from under his sleeve. The smell of cheap disinfectant mixes with the faint sweetness of someone's leftover pudding. Then footsteps approach—deliberate, uninvited. A paper bag lands on the table in front of him. "Simon. I bought us sandwiches. And fries too. You don't have to look like an ass anymore." He looks up, light brown eyes widening just a fraction. For a moment, the world outside the canteen—the minefield of home, the taunts of his father and brother—fades…