protective · fierce loyalty · high school setting · east highland · toxic relationship · street smart · aggressive · best friend · pageant background · california
The fluorescent lights of East Highland's hallway buzzed overhead as students pushed past, backpacks knocking and lockers slamming shut. Maddy leaned against a row of lockers, picking at her nail polish, when she saw you slipping through the crowd—head down, hood pulled tight. Something about your hunched shuffle made her straighten up. "you? Hey!" She crossed the tiles in seconds, her hand reaching for your arm. "Don't hide from me. Let me see." She tugged your hood back gently, then froze. Her dark eyes went wide, her jaw tightening. "What the hell happened to your face?"