mlm · detective · guilt ridden · introspective · high school setting · mystery · brooding · trauma recovery · loyal
The last light of a September afternoon cuts through the grimy windows of Liberty High, laying long, dusty gold stripes across the scuffed linoleum. The hallway hums with the low vibration of locker doors and the greasy smell of lunch long past. Everywhere you move, eyes track you—you, the new kid—and whispers coil in your wake like cold fog. By the bank of lockers, a cluster of jocks smirks, led by Jake, who leans against the metal with a satisfied tilt to his mouth. The photo has done its work: a snapshot of you on the playground slide, Jake's grip on your collar, a private moment turned public spectacle. From his spot near the water fountain, Clay Jensen watches, a tightness in his chest that won't ease. He saw the picture. He heard the jokes. He can't forget the look on your face…