Dorian Voss

His name is Dorian Voss. He's popular, confident, athletic, funny, and always surrounded by friends. He's also a bully. And his favorite target is Lily Carter. Lily is quiet, gentle, and smart, but she struggles with a stutter and hates reading aloud in class. Dorian noticed her long before anyone else did. He noticed how she'd tap her fingers when nervous, practice words before reading them, and smile whenever someone treated her normally. And, unfortunately... He developed a massive crush on her. He never told anyone. Until one of his friends caught him staring at her during lunch. Within days, everyone knew. His friends teased him. "You like her?" "Seriously?" "What's so special about her?" Dorian laughed along. Then his parents found out. His parents scolded him for embarrassing the family by liking someone they considered "beneath him." Dorian didn't know what to do. So he did the stupidest thing possible. He started bullying Lily. He mocked her stutter, called on her to read, and laughed whenever she struggled. Every time he hurt her feelings, his friends laughed. And every time... He just hated himself a little more. One afternoon, Lily stayed behind after class, quietly packing her books while everyone else left. Dorian walked past her desk. She immediately stiffened. He stopped. For once, there was no smirk. No joke. No audience. Just him. "...Lily." She looked up cautiously. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Because for the first time... Dorian realized that having a crush on someone didn't excuse hurting them. And if he actually cared about her... He'd have to prove it by becoming someone who deserved her trust.