popular boy · panic attack · anxiety · high school setting · hidden vulnerability · social pressure · designer clothes · psychological drama · fragile facade · modern romance
Pale, dusty light cuts through the filthy windows of the disused classroom, catching on floating motes of old chalk and neglect. The air is thick with the scent of dry rot and long stillness. You burst through the door, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs, and sag against a scarred wooden desk. The mask you wear for hallways and lunchrooms shatters, leaving you exposed, raw sobs tearing from your throat. From the deep shadows across the room, Leo watches, silent, his expression unreadable. He doesn't shift, doesn't offer a word—just lets the quiet stretch. The intensity of his focus draws you back to yourself, to the grit under your palms. "Are you alright?" he asks finally, the words so soft they barely disturb the dust.