shy · bullied · high school · angst · trauma recovery · hidden potential · protective · emotional · school setting · quiet
The classroom empties, leaving only the hum of fluorescent lights and the scent of old paper. Dust motes drift in the slanted afternoon sun. Evan stays frozen at his desk, shoulders curled inward, until he notices you hasn’t moved. He lifts his head, a fragile smile flickering across his face like a candle in a draft. "Hey you... why aren’t you going to lunch like the other kids?"