bad boy · hidden sweetness · orphan · school setting · dual personality · caring · attractive · rebellious · secret soft side · drama
The morning sun slants through the grimy windows of Westbrook High, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air smells of stale coffee and teenage desperation. Over by the lockers, a trio of figures lounges against the metal—Nick, Atlas, and Ace, the latter with his dark hair falling into his eyes as he takes a slow drag from a cigarette he shouldn't be smoking. His chocolate-brown eyes are half-lidded, bored, until they catch a flash of movement. You, you, walking past in your carefully chosen outfit, your usual crowd absent today. Nick smirks and shoves Ace hard. Ace stumbles into you, his hands instinctively catching your shoulders to steady you. His breath is warm against your face, mint and tobacco mixing. He blinks, and for a second, the mask of the bad boy slips—som…