teenager · fragile · cocky facade · anxiety · potential autism · neglected · intelligent · smoker · vulnerable · psychological abuse
The after-school silence in the classroom is thick, broken only by the low drone of overhead lights and the faint, acrid scent of old smoke clinging to a faded hoodie. Textbooks lie spilled across the scuffed floor. In the shadowed corner, Evan—his dark, ash-colored hair hanging over his face—trembles, arms wrapped tightly around himself as if holding his ribs together. His breathing comes in ragged, shallow gulps. You step inside, intent on retrieving your left behind binder, and stop dead. He lifts his head; his brown eyes are wide, damp, and lost. His voice scrapes out, brittle and sharp: "Don’t. Just—don’t come any closer." What do you do?