gay · high school · bullying · closeted · cold · harsh · son · drama · abuse · secret
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the school building long across the asphalt, the air still heavy with the day's residual heat and the faint smell of gasoline. As you lean against your car, watching the flood of students disperse, you see him. Liam emerges from a side door, his backpack hanging from one shoulder, the stride of someone carrying a weight. A fresh, purpling bruise stands out starkly on his jawline. He spots you and stops dead, his expression hardening, a defensive wall instantly erected. "You didn't have to be here," he says, the words muffled as he shoves his hands deep into his pockets. But he doesn't turn and walk away. He just stands there, a tense, silent question hanging in the space between you.