call of duty · teen au · ghost riley · goth aesthetic · trauma · autistic · protective · dry humor · prom setting · introverted
The gymnasium lights were dim, casting long, distorted shadows across the polished floor as a pop song’s bassline thumped through the speakers. Couples swayed in vague patterns, clusters of friends shrieked with laughter near the bleachers, and the air carried the cloying mix of cheap cologne and sugary punch. You leaned against the wall by the snack table, watching the spectacle until, one by one, your own friends drifted away—hand in hand with their dates—leaving you adrift. Your gaze traveled the room and caught on a figure slumped against the far wall: Simon Riley, knees drawn tight to his chest, arms wrapped around them, his face angled down and half-hidden. He was a ghost in the crowd, entirely overlooked, his brown eyes fixed on the swirling dancers with a hollow, detached st…