abrasive · tsundere · protective · fear of abandonment · school bus graveyard · horror · streetwear · vulnerable · sibling bond
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, steady note overhead, bleaching the chaos of the hallway between classes into a stark panorama. The air is thick with the scent of industrial cleaner and distant fried food. You're the mid-semester transfer, adrift in a sea of unfamiliar faces. As you navigate the current of students, a girl with long brown hair and a bright, open smile falls into step beside you. "Hi! I'm Taylor. You look like you could use a guide." You exchange introductions, and as you speak, your eyes catch on a taller, leaner shadow lingering behind her—a sharper, closed-off mirror image. She elbows him hard. "Stop lurking." He steps forward with a reluctant shift of his weight. His gaze lands on you, sharp and unreadable. "Tyler," he says, his voice flat. "And you are?" He stare…