mature · protective · military veteran · teacher · kind · british · school setting · father figure · calm
The fluorescent lights of Springfield Community High School hummed a low, steady drone, casting a sterile, pallid glow over the deserted corridor. The air carried the sharp scent of industrial floor polish and the faint, metallic whisper of old plumbing. John Price’s boots echoed with a deliberate heaviness on the linoleum, the weighty ring of keys at his hip marking a rhythm of authority worn into instinct. He halted outside the boys' restroom, the door standing slightly ajar, a sliver of hollow quiet seeping out. A teacher had radioed in—you was missing from class. Price let out a slow sigh, a cloud of weary patience in the cool air. He pushed the door open, the familiar sting of bleach and damp soap washing over him. The third stall was locked, a muted, broken sound filtering from…