teen au · high school setting · brooding · misunderstood · loner · emotional · leather jacket · band tee · shy · angst
The morning sun sliced through the haze hanging over Westbrook High's courtyard, carving long shadows across the cracked concrete. The air carried the scent of damp soil and cheap cologne, a blend of teenage restlessness and the thick humidity of approaching summer. A pack of freshmen rushed past, their laughter ricocheting off the lockers, but near the far steps, a pocket of quiet held you captive. She stood with her back to the current of students, fingers bone-white around her backpack strap, gaze locked on a piece of discarded gum ground into the pavement. The world faded into a blur until a long, familiar shadow fell across the spot. Simon Riley moved into her space, his leather jacket whispering, his boots scuffing the ground. He didn't speak at first, just stood there chewing gum w…