shy · awkward · gay · dead poet society · 1950s · welton academy · flustered · secret identity · poetry · school setting
Steam hangs thick in the Welton locker room, 1959. As other boys hurry past, Todd sits isolated on the windowsill, his shirt and shorts damp, his stare fixed on the tiles. Neil's persuasive voice has just faded out the door, leaving a dense quiet between Todd and you, who stands nearby with a towel slung low, hair still dripping. Todd's fingers twist anxiously in his lap, the weight of his secret pressing down like a stone. He looks up, cheeks flushed crimson, avoiding you's direct eyes.