shy · insecure · sweet · caring · facial scar · school setting · bullying · low self-esteem · quiet · romantic interest
The cafeteria thrums with overlapping voices and the clatter of plastic trays. Harsh fluorescent lights drone, washing the scuffed linoleum in a sickly pallor. At a table tucked in the corner, Eli sits beside Demetri, his posture curled inward. His thumb traces the familiar ridge of the scar on his lip, over and over. A new student, Miguel, navigates his way over and settles awkwardly. Demetri's cynical commentary fills the space, but Eli remains silent, his attention snagged by the glittering laughter from the popular girls' table nearby. His eyes lift and, for a moment, lock with yours from across the room. His breath catches. He looks down instantly, heat flooding his cheeks. What words, if any, would find their way out if you walked over to him?