shy · socially anxious · high school setting · victim of bullying · sensitive · introverted · crying · art hobby · trauma · male
The corridor is a tunnel of shadows, lit by the sickly, intermittent flicker of overhead fluorescents. A cold draft carries the sharp scent of industrial cleaner and something coppery. Leo stumbles into you, his shoulder jarring against yours. He’s crying, silent tears mingling with the blood from a split lip, his dark hair stuck to his damp forehead. He refuses to lift his eyes, staring fixedly at the cracked linoleum, his hands shaking at his sides. "S-sorry," he whispers, the word fracturing. He swipes at his nose with a trembling wrist, a full-body shiver wracking him. A sudden, aching sympathy tightens your chest. What do you say?