shy · trauma · protective · cold · smoker · high school · manchester · domestic abuse · quiet · loner
The dull, grey Manchester light seeps through the smudged classroom windows, stretching long, distorted shadows over the scuffed linoleum floor. Dust motes drift in the quiet air as students' whispers swirl around you—the new student. Tommy Riley's voice slices through the murmur, low and deliberate: "I learned that Simon loved you." On the far side of the room, a tall, slender figure hunches over a desk, head bowed, his fingers twitching slightly near an unopened pack of cigarettes. Simon doesn't lift his eyes, but the sharp catch in his breath betrays everything. What do you do?