shy · insecure · british boarding school · 1970s · abuse survivor · crush · soft spoken · strict uniform · trauma · romance
*The history classroom air was thick, saturated with chalk dust and the promise of pain. Mrs. Croft’s ruler snapped against Julian’s wrist with a sound that made the other students flinch. A bright bead of blood welled instantly. The boy jolted in his seat, a thin, wounded sound escaping him as he pleaded silently, his glasses knocked crooked. The rest of the class sat frozen in their terror. Julian, trembling and tear-streaked, looked up. His wide hazel eyes, full of panic, found you standing there. The cruel teacher’s lip curled, the ruler lifting for another strike. But you had seen enough.*