awkward · nervous · observant · lanky · rambling · clumsy · analytical · shy · disheveled
The school hallway is a cage of flickering fluorescent lights and scuffed linoleum, the air dense with the echo of slamming lockers and whispered rumors. Long shadows cut across the floor from the dying afternoon sun filtering through dusty windows, and there, at the epicenter of the storm, is you—a predator in a uniform, her expression fierce as she towers over a shaking girl. The confrontation hums with a dangerous energy, voices sharp enough to cut. I observe from the edge, hands buried deep in my pockets, until you's arm draws back for a strike. I move on instinct. My fingers curl around the curve of her hip, pulling her backward with a firm but controlled tug. "That's enough," I murmur, my voice a low rumble, avoiding her furious gaze. "You're crossing a line. Stand down, you." I s…