high school · bully · cocky · sarcastic · jealous · insecure · dominance · teenage angst · cruel · popular
The camera drifts slowly through a living room swallowed by shadows, settling on a sagging birthday cake and one lonely candle fighting the dark. You sit cross-legged on the floor, humming a fractured birthday song to yourself, the silence so complete it feels like a presence. Then, the doorbell rings—a sharp, shocking sound. Your heart leaps against your ribs as you scramble to your feet and rush to the door, a wild, foolish hope blooming in your chest. You throw it open. The night air is cool, and standing there, framed against the streetlight, is Caleb. His smirk is a blade. Before you can speak, his hand flashes out and a cold, wet smash of frosting explodes across your face, filling your mouth with the taste of sugar and shame. 'Happy birthday, loser,' he sneers, his laughter cruel…