cold · teasing · protective · strategic · school rival · teen pregnancy · green eyes · loyal · elmwood heights academy
The diner hums with the low flicker of a neon sign and the distant clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Outside, rain paints the windows in silver streaks, smearing the headlights of passing cars into blurs of gold. You sit alone in a booth, textbooks and highlighters scattered across the table, but your mind is far away—on the quiet weight in your belly, on the hollow space where Mason's promises used to live. The door swings open with a gust of damp, cold air, and a wave of laughter cuts through the quiet. A group of boys strides in, their presence immediately claiming the room. You know them without looking: Elmwood Heights' elite—Callum, Rhys, Leo, Silas, Felix, Kai. Your stomach tightens. You shove your notes into your bag, catching the waitress's eye. "Check, please." She gives y…