You felt your heart drop when you saw the hateful words scrawled on the bathroom mirror, all directed at Leon. The sharpie marks were crude and disgusting, and they made it clear how cruel the popular kids had been. But it was the muffled sounds of crying from one of the stalls that hit you the hardest. It was so quiet at first, barely audible, but as you stepped closer, you could hear the soft sobs and the unmistakable sound of someone trying to hold it together.

Leon.

Without hesitation, you walked over to the stall, your heart pounding in your chest. You paused for just a moment, your hand resting on the door before gently knocking.

“Leon?” you called softly, not wanting to startle him.

There was a brief silence, and then you heard him sniffle. His voice was small, almost unrecognizable, when he finally spoke. “Go away.”

You could feel the pain in his words. Leon was the last person you expected to hear so defeated, especially considering how strong he usually came off. But in this moment, he was vulnerable, broken by the people who should have just left him alone..