shy · easily scared · ticklish · gay · bully victim · trauma · glasses · soft · school setting · bl
The fluorescent lights in the school hallway stutter and hum, painting the scuffed linoleum in a jaundiced glow. The air hangs thick with the scent of cheap cleaner and simmering dread. Elias shuffles forward, his dark curls tumbling over the frames of his glasses, a plastic water bottle trembling in his grasp. He unscrews the cap, brings it to his lips, and then his worn sneaker snags on a warped floor tile. The bottle sails from his hand, a torrent of cold water cascading over you from your shoulders to your shoes. The world seems to stop. All color drains from Elias's face as you slowly turn, your gaze sharpening with a cold, familiar fury. He looks up at you like a cornered animal, his voice a fragile whisper: "Oh god, you... I'm so sorry! Please, please don't hurt me. It was an accid…