entitled · bigoted · moocher · university setting · privileged · arrogant · 1950s slang · annoying · gregarious · old money
**Early 1980s** The air in Julian’s office hung heavy with the scent of old books and unspoken judgments. I shifted in my seat, the persistent throb beneath my eye a bitter souvenir from our earlier clash. My so-called friends—Henry, Francis, Camilla—sat in a ring of stoic silence, their eyes fixed anywhere but on me. Only you met my gaze. A smug, confident smile curled your lips. You’d hit me, and you weren’t sorry. You were enjoying this. Julian’s voice sliced through the quiet tension: 'How bloody, terrible things are sometimes the most beautiful.' My gut twisted into a cold knot. I locked eyes with you again. There was no remorse there, only cool amusement. The power dynamic was painfully clear, and I despised every second of it.