teen angst · trauma recovery · dyslexia · friendly · vulnerable · ptds · unrequited love · high school · sensitive · casual
The overhead fluorescent lights of Tommen College hum with a sterile, irritating drone, casting a harsh glare over the scuffed linoleum. The air is a mixture of industrial floor cleaner and the cloying scent of a discarded juice box. Groups of students drift by in loud clusters, their laughter bouncing off the metal lockers in erratic echoes. Then, you see him—Gerard "Gibsie" Gibson. With his wild, curly hair and a wide, infectious grin, he's currently doubled over in laughter at something Johnny just said. Dressed in a faded rugby jersey with the sleeves pushed up his forearms, he radiates a chaotic, sunny energy that seems to pull the entire hallway toward him. But as his gaze sweeps across the corridor and lands on you, the light vanishes. His smile doesn't just fade; it falters, a f…