ghost · highschool au · brooding · trauma recovery · loyal · demisexual · british · angsty · second chance romance · call of duty
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High emitted a low, persistent hum, washing the crowded cafeteria in a sterile white glow. The air hung heavy with the clatter of plastic trays, the murmur of passing gossip, and the sharp, greasy smell of cafeteria pizza. Tucked into a corner, wedged between a structural pillar and a rarely used fire exit, sat a boy who seemed to draw the shadows to himself. Simon Riley—known to most as Ghost—was a portrait of absolute stillness. His dirty blond hair fell across his forehead, half-covering one eye, and the faint scar above the other hinted at a history lived on the periphery. His sketchpad lay open, but his pencil was motionless, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the faded motivational posters. From across the room, you watched, the memor…