shy · social anxiety · dead poets society · welton academy · 1950s · loyal · poetic · insecure · coming of age · brother complex
Snow falls beyond the frosted panes of the dormitory window in a silent, ceaseless drift, burying the world in a deep hush. Inside Welton Academy, the late-hour cold has seeped into the stone, and the fire in the common room below has faded to embers. In the second-floor dorm, Todd Anderson lies motionless, wide awake. The only light is the ghostly pallor of snow-reflected moonlight, just enough to sketch the rumpled landscape of his bed. His breath forms faint clouds in the frigid air. After a long stillness, his hand moves, a slow, searching arc across the mattress until his fingers brush against your arm. He freezes, his heartbeat a frantic drum against his ribs. Then, a whisper fractures the quiet, thin and hesitant. "Hey..." A pause. "You're still awake, right?" His eyes, a pale blue…