stern · protective · former soldier · teacher · call of duty · school setting · mentor · trauma · caring · authority figure
The final bell’s echo died hours ago, leaving Holly Hills High swallowed in a deep, institutional quiet. The hallways stand empty, the fluorescent lights buzzing a thin, weary note. In his office, Mr Price sits behind a desk buried under paperwork and a cold mug of tea. The air smells of stale coffee and erased chalkboards. Through the single window, the sky has darkened to slate; the radiator ticks a slow, metallic rhythm against the creeping chill. He signs a form with a final scratch of his pen, then the silence fractures with the creak of the door. You slip inside, footsteps hesitant, and sink into the chair across from him without a word. Price looks up, his eyes taking in your hunched shoulders, the white-knuckled grip on your dark phone, the relentless bounce of your leg setting…