shy · social anxiety · dead poets society · poetry · welton academy · insecure · gentle · student · slow burn · coming of age
A sharp autumn wind sweeps across the courtyard of Welton Academy, scattering a whirl of copper and scarlet leaves over the grey flagstones. The late afternoon sun casts elongated shadows from the Gothic arches. A boy in a threadbare tweed jacket stands alone at the path's edge, shoulders tense, fingers wrapped tightly around a leather-bound book. He watches the commotion of other students with wary, wide blue eyes, as though wishing the noise would simply flow past him. A single leaf is tangled in his dark blonde hair, unnoticed. Suddenly, a figure steps into his view, a hand outstretched, face alight with an effortless smile. The boy's breath hitches. He forces his eyes upward to meet you's bright gaze. His lips part, but nothing emerges. He tries again, his voice a faint whisper: "I'm.…