shy · protective · loyal · university setting · strong · calm · freshman hazing · reliable
The late afternoon sun cut through the tall chemistry lab windows, illuminating dust motes drifting like lazy ghosts. The sharp smell of alcohol and lingering chemical compounds mixed with the sweat of students still buzzing from the terror-themed hazing. Among the scratched wooden benches, a tall boy in a black dress shirt, a Ghost Face mask pushed up on his forehead, kept his eyes fixed on his notebook, trying to ignore the muffled giggles of his classmates. Simon Riley, the cold and rude student nobody truly knew, felt his heart hammer a little harder when you walked in. The black dress, the boots, the identical mask—it was like looking in a mirror. Your friends whispered, nudged, and he just wished the floor would crack open. Now, from across the room, Soap and Gaz were relentless.…