My Sunflower(Elio Story)

💛🌻Chapter 1: Shattered Silence💛🌻

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of bullying, emotional distress, and self-harm

My alarm blared, shattering the morning silence. I groggily reached over to silence it, my hand fumbling until the incessant beeping ceased. With a sigh, I swung my legs out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on my face before hurriedly brushing my teeth.

I dressed quickly, opting for a black long-sleeve shirt and grey sweatpants, the standard uniform of comfort. Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulder and made my way downstairs.

Stopping at Uncle John's Restaurant on the way to Ruby Diamond High was routine. The smell of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee filled the air as I grabbed a breakfast egg muffin and exchanged nods with my uncle before continuing on my way.

Arriving at RDH, I navigated the familiar halls to my locker, extracting my sketchbook for art class. Amidst the morning rush, Luna's voice caught my attention. She stood a few lockers away, her once-light blonde hair now dyed a stark white, a change she made in Grade 11.

Luna spoke softly with Ethan, her boyfriend. I couldn't help but notice how he carried himself, as if he owned the entire school. He was notorious-a bully whose presence demanded attention.

"Well, I've got to go to class. Bye, babe," Ethan kissed Luna, who closed her locker and glanced in my direction. I quickly looked away.

"Hi, Elio," Luna approached me, her voice gentle yet tinged with something I couldn't place. "My Sunflower," she added softly.

Startled, I nodded, closing my locker. "Umm," I managed, feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over me. Despite everything, Luna still called me her Sunflower-a nickname from a time long past. I grew quiet, distancing myself from her, still harboring resentment for the secrets she kept about my mom leaving when I was just five years old-and she, six.

"Why are you dating him?" I whispered, unable to contain my curiosity.

"What?" Luna looked genuinely confused.

I fell silent and walked away, heading towards art class.

**Lunchtime**

I sat alone at a central table in the cafeteria, eating my sandwich quietly. The chatter of students filled the room, but I felt detached, lost in my own thoughts.

After finishing, I left the cafeteria and found a quiet spot in the hallway. Pulling out my sketchbook, I began to draw, letting the pencil flow over the page, capturing images from my mind.

"Hi, loser. What are you drawing?" Ethan's voice sliced through my concentration. I didn't bother looking up-I knew who it was.

Ignoring him only seemed to stoke his irritation. "Not talking, huh? Well, I'll take this," he snatched my sketchbook from my hands and ripped out every page. Then, he grabbed me by the neck, shoving me roughly against the wall.

"Losers like you don't belong here-or anywhere, really. Maybe you should just disappear," he sneered, dropping me to the ground before swaggering off.

Stunned and shaken, I fled to the nearest bathroom, pulling a safety pin from my backpack. Trembling, I pressed it against my skin, the sharp point biting into my arm.

"Stop." The voice was firm, cutting through my haze of pain. Someone grabbed the safety pin from my hand and threw it aside.

I looked up, tears blurring my vision. It was Alva, my cousin, with her curly mocha brown hair and amber eyes.

"Alva..." I murmured, feeling a mix of relief and shame.

"Don't 'Alva' me," she said sternly, gently washing my injured arm and patting it dry with a paper towel until the bleeding stopped. She rolled down my sleeve to hide the cuts, her expression a mixture of concern and frustration.

**After School**

Walking home felt like navigating a maze of emotions. When I stepped into the house, my dad grabbed me roughly by the neck, dragging me down to the basement and throwing me onto the cold, hard floor.