The Reason This Boy Couldn’t Sit Still Left Me Shaking

At first, I thought Ethan was only trying to disrupt class—standing up, sitting down, never keeping still. I scolded him, convinced he wanted attention, until I noticed something in his eyes. There was no mischief, only pain. When the room emptied, I stopped him and asked why. His voice cracked as he admitted it hurt too much to sit. My heart pounded as he lifted his shirt, revealing the truth I wished I hadn’t seen. My hands shook as I whispered, “Ethan… who did this to you?” And when he finally answered…

At first, I thought he was just being difficult. Another restless student trying to derail the lesson, refusing to focus, eager to test boundaries. But what I discovered that day has stayed with me ever since.

The classroom had been humming with its usual rhythm—chalk scratching on the board, pencils racing over notebooks, the low buzz of concentration. Everything felt ordinary, except for one boy.

Ethan couldn’t seem to stay still. He sat, then rose a few minutes later. I reminded him firmly to stay seated. He obeyed, only to stand again soon after. His classmates snickered, assuming he was clowning around. To them, it was a minor disruption. To me, it was irritation slowly turning into unease.

I studied him more carefully. His eyes weren’t mischievous. They weren’t challenging me. They looked… pained.