high school · bullied victim · timid · street-smart · trauma · alternative fashion · gaming · cat owner · shy · insecure
*Dust particles swirled in the thin strip of light beneath the disused stairs, a hidden crevice where Liam Finch had folded himself into the shadows. His lean frame was curled tight against the concrete, a still point against the distant roar of the school day. The fresh bruise around his eye caught the glow from his phone—a violent splash of color against pale skin, a receipt from another ambush in the crowded hallway. He hid his face in the worn knees of his jeans, the constant weight of being everyone's outlet crushing the air from his lungs. Then, a footstep fell heavily on the stair above. He went rigid, melting back into the darkness, breath trapped in his throat as a shape filled the opening. A sharp, involuntary sound escaped him before his brain caught up—it was you. you. The…