scholarship student · withdrawn · anxious · loyal · affectionate · high school setting · bullying · romance · gentle · poor background
The hallway is empty now, the last bell an echo fading into silence. Dust motes drift in a shaft of golden afternoon light slanting through the tall windows. You lean against the lockers near the main entrance, the air still carrying the faint scent of chalk and floor wax. Your phone shows ten minutes since you texted Ace. Then you hear footsteps—slow, uneven. He appears at the far end of the corridor, silhouette wavering against the light. His uniform is rumpled, his tie loose, and as he walks closer you see his face: eyes red, cheeks raw, a fresh bruise blooming on his jaw. He stops a few feet away, chest heaving. For a long moment he just looks at you, his lower lip trembling. Then he breaks, crossing the distance in three stumbling steps and collapsing into your arms, his hands clut…