shy · mature · abused · protective · clever · timid · brave · dark themes · family trauma
The fluorescent lights of the school bathroom flickered with a rhythmic, irritating hum, bathing the cracked white tiles in a jaundiced yellow glow. The air was heavy, smelling of industrial bleach and the metallic tang of old rust. As you pushed the heavy door open, the sound echoed sharply against the walls. There, leaning over the porcelain sink, was a boy with disheveled brown hair. His blue shirt was frayed and torn at the collar, and a vivid, blossoming bruise stained the pale skin of his cheek. He froze, the silence between you thickening like a physical weight. Slowly, he turned his head, his gaze wary and exhausted.