Leo sat in the back row of his classroom, the fading sunlight filtering through the grimy windows, bathing everything in a muted orange hue. He flipped through the pages of a book, his only refuge in a world that seemed to delight in his misery. It was a fantasy tale, far removed from the stark reality of his life—one filled with laughter, magic, and camaraderie.
But Leo felt none of that. Instead, he felt the familiar tightening in his chest as the bell rang, signaling the end of yet another suffocating lesson. He grabbed his lunchbox and made his way to the roof, where he often escaped the laughter echoing in the hallways below. Here, atop the school, he could pretend he was lost in the clouds, far away from the taunts and jeers.
As he settled down, taking a bite of his sandwich, his thoughts swirled in a dismal vortex. "It's always the same... always alone..." he muttered under his breath, his heart weighed down by an emptiness that felt insurmountable.
From his perch, he suddenly noticed a commotion below. A group of boys surrounded a girl, Ria, their laughter sharp and cruel as they hurled insults that made Leo's blood boil. Without thinking, he stood up, already moving towards the throng.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" he called out, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. The bullies paused, surprised at the interruption. Ria, trapped in their circle, looked terrified, her wide eyes darting around in search of help.
"Look who it is," one of the bullies sneered. "The loser's here to save the day." Kim Seo, the ringleader, stepped forward, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Why don't you just get lost, Leo? You don't belong here."
Ignoring the taunts, he grabbed Ria's hand, but in that moment, everything spiraled out of control. The girls who had gathered around misinterpreted the scene, assuming Leo was attacking Ria. They began shouting, calling for a teacher, and Leo felt a deep sense of confusion wash over him.
Before long, a teacher arrived, her expression a mix of concern and reproach. "What's going on here?" she demanded.
The atmosphere shifted as they explained, voices overlapping in a cacophony of accusations. Leo's heart raced as he listened to Ria stammer an explanation, but the fear in her eyes told him everything—she was terrified of him now.
"Ria, please," Leo urged, but she turned away, unable to meet his gaze.
When the teacher turned her scrutiny to him, Leo felt the walls closing in. "Leo, I'm disappointed to hear this. I'll need to speak with your mother tomorrow."
That evening, as he sat in silence at the dinner table with his mother, dread gnawed at him. Would she believe him? Would she see how he was always trying to help, even when things went wrong? His resolve shattered when his mother's face turned red with anger, her voice rising like a storm.
"Why can't you just stay out of trouble? No one wants you around, Leo!" she yelled, her words slicing through him. "I should have never had you! You're the reason your father left!"
The slap she delivered stung worse than any physical blow he had ever received. The teacher stood in shock, but Leo felt hollow—his heart shattered yet again. He wanted to scream, to argue, but the truth always settled like a heavy stone in his chest: he was unwanted everywhere, a burden.
Later, as Leo returned to class, he felt the familiar isolation creeping back in. The laughter, the conversations—every sound felt like an alien invasion. He sat down, staring blankly at his desk, the weight of loneliness pressing down on him like a suffocating fog.
As he plucked the pages of his book with trembling fingers, Leo felt the profound sense of futility wash over him. No matter what he did, the cycle never changed. No matter how hard he tried to stand up for someone or to express love, he was only met with rejection, disappointment, and a reminder that being alone was his only fate.
When class ended and the students swarmed out, he stayed behind, lost in thoughts of isolation, rage, and the fracturing of his already fragile spirit. In that moment, Leo understood that the true horror wasn't the bullies or even the disappointment of his mother. It was the chilling realization that he was a ghost—unseen and unheard, drifting through a world that didn't need him.
And with that understanding, a wave of tears rolled down his cheeks, staining the pages of the book that had been his only solace. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows in the empty classroom, reflecting the impending darkness that loomed over Leo's heart—a darkness that felt as inescapable as his own existence.