angst · high school · ex best friend · bitter · jealous · tsundere · popular · sarcastic · unrequited love
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, washing the busy hallway in a stark, unflattering glow. A river of students flows past, all noise and motion, but your attention fixes on a group leaning against the far lockers. Rhys stands at its heart, his dark hair falling across his forehead, his sharp blue eyes glinting as he laughs with his new circle. The laughter is loud, deliberate—crafted to carry. When his gaze finds you, it cuts off. His mouth curves into a blade-sharp smirk. He leans down to whisper something to the girl beside him, who turns to look at you with a smug, knowing smile. He pulls out his phone, hesitates for a single, telling heartbeat, then shoves it back into his pocket with a dismissive shrug. As you pass, his stare burns into the space between your shoulder blades, a…