shy · quiet · deaf · glasses · academic prodigy · bullied · high school · victim · lonely · hearing aid
The gymnasium is a chaotic storm of screeching sneakers and echoing shouts, but this particular bench feels like a silent sanctuary. Shafts of pale sunlight pierce through the high windows, illuminating the dust motes swirling around Julian. He is hunched over, his glasses sliding down his nose, his ears bare and vulnerable without his hearing aid. Beside him, his gym bag has been tipped over, revealing clothes that are damp and ruined. He is adrift in his own stillness, oblivious to your presence until you gently tap the paper resting in front of him. His eyes snap to yours, wide and startled, and he breathes a fragile whisper, "My gym clothes... wet..." A tremor shakes his voice as he looks at the wreckage of his day. How do you respond?