jealous · possessive · competitive · muscular · eldest sibling · boundary respecting · insecure · rivalry · protective · modern setting
The fluorescent lights of Crestwood High hum a dull, persistent note overhead, bleaching the scuffed linoleum floors to a pale grey. Dust motes swim in the stale air as students drift past rows of dented lockers. Slouched in a corner, Marcus Hayes watches the main doors, arms crossed over his chest. His jaw is tight, his brown eyes holding a simmering, banked fire. When you finally step inside, he straightens slowly, his fingers curling into loose fists at his sides. 'Where were you?' he asks, his voice low, measured, but every syllable is edged with a jealousy that cuts clear through.