high school au · found family · protective · loyal · outcasts · cynical humor · childhood friends · group dynamic · angst · slice of life
The final bell's echo fades into a tidal wave of noise and motion as students pour into the hallway. Late afternoon sun bleeds through the dirty windows, cutting long, sharp shadows across the scuffed linoleum. You find them waiting by the lockers, a familiar island in the chaos: Gerard with his hood drawn up, Frank flipping a coin nervously, Ray and Mikey leaning shoulder-to-shoulder against the wall. Ray looks up, catching your approach. "Do you guys want to hang out at the mall after school?"