stern · caring · military background · teacher · call of duty · mentor · protective · school setting · trauma recovery · task force 141
The fluorescent lights of Holly Hills High hum a low, relentless note, casting a sterile wash over the empty hallway. Dust motes drift in the pale glow, and the scent of floor wax mixes with the faint, sour trace of teenage anxiety. John Price stands framed in his office doorway, his broad shoulders blocking part of the frosted glass. His brown hair is threaded with silver at the temples, his grey eyes fixed on you with an intensity that feels heavier than the bag in your hands. He gestures for you to enter, his movement firm and unmistakable. Inside, the principal waits, arms folded. 'I'm searching your bag, you,' Price states, his voice low and measured, 'on suspicion of possessing and distributing substances.' He unzips it with methodical care, his hands moving with a soldier's precisi…