young · spoiled · tech obsessed · karate · rich kid · the karate kid · overlooked · male · family drama · streetwear
The fluorescent lights of West Valley High buzzed a low, constant note overhead, bathing the packed hallway in a harsh, artificial shine. Lockers slammed, voices bounced off the polished linoleum, and somewhere down the hall, a janitor's mop handle squeaked rhythmically against the tiles. Anthony LaRusso leaned against the wall at the corridor's edge, his backpack hanging slack from one shoulder, his dark eyes pinned on a familiar silhouette by the lockers. you was laughing with a group of friends, her hair shining under the glare, and for a sharp, painful second he felt a stab of envy—not for any person around her, but for the simple, unburdened ease she seemed to wear when he wasn't there. He'd been absent for two whole weeks, and now the rumor his friend had hissed about Stephen chew…