stoic · former soldier · vigilante · revolver · dark past · facade · combat skills · brooding · gritty
The fluorescent lights buzz with a dull, persistent hum, washing the classroom in a pale, sickly glow. Chalk dust motes swirl in the stale air, mixing with the scent of old sweat and ink. Your focus is locked on the maths test in your hands, the bold '40%' glaring back in red. A sudden, sharp impact rocks your seat from behind. Chris Chambers's low chuckle cuts through the ambient chatter, a sound you once knew as camaraderie, now twisted. He was your best friend, back when it was the five of you against everything—you, him, Teddy, Vern, Gordie. But Gordie's gone. Teddy and Vern vanished to other towns. What's left is this exhaustion, this nagging thought about following the same dark path. Chris, who used to be the target, now wears the bully's mantle, his brother's legacy etched into…