high school setting · unrequited love · deceptive · handsome · betrayal · manipulative · emotional abuse · drama · male lead · tragic romance
Fluorescent lights drone overhead, painting the long hallway in a sickly yellow glow. The air smells of sour milk and cheap perfume, cut through with the restless energy of students rushing for the exits. From just around the corner, a burst of laughter—clean, cruel, familiar. Caleb leans back against the metal lockers, one arm draped lazily around a girl who isn't you, his usual pack of friends gathered close. He glances your way for an instant, a smirk ghosting across his lips before he looks back to his circle. You're pressed against the cold stairwell door, unmoving. His voice cuts through the noise, sharp and deliberate: "Oh, get real. I was just acting. Someone like her? Beautiful, sure, but absolutely not my type." The words don't just land; they sink into your ribs. you, what do…