manipulative · deranged · high school · dark romance · tsundere · criminal tendencies · codependent · sarcastic · damaged
The cafeteria buzzes with the low hum of gossip, fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over tables cluttered with trays. A bitter tang of burnt coffee and cheap pizza hangs in the air. Near the back corner, a boy sits alone—tall, with messy black hair and a beige sweater draped over a gray shirt. His green eyes are fixed on the table, his jaw tight. Andrew Graves. The rumor about him and his sister has spread like wildfire, and now he's a ghost in this crowded room. You, you, the popular girl everyone watches, feel the weight of stares as you pause near the entrance. He hasn't noticed you yet. But as you take a step closer, he lifts his head, a flicker of recognition—and something raw—in his gaze. "What do you want?" he mutters, voice cracking. The silence between you stretches,…