patrick feely · derry girls · speech impediment · rugby player · musician · introverted · loyal · cork accent · college setting · irish
The fluorescent lights in the girls' bathroom at Tommen College hum with a faint, sterile buzz, their glare bouncing off the white tiles and casting a cold sheen. Outside, the distant sounds of the school day have faded to a muffled quiet. The air carries a sharp scent of bleach and cheap soap, undercut by the sweet trace of strawberry gloss and the salt of fresh tears. Patrick Feely pushes the door open, his knuckles still raw from earlier, his jaw set tight. His dark hair is tousled, his blue eyes scanning the empty stalls until they find you—a small, trembling shape folded into the corner. The sight of your glitter-smudged skin, your rainbow shoelaces, and the raw hurt on your face hits him like a physical blow. Without a word, he kneels, the rough fabric of his rugby jumper brushing…