boys of tommen · cynical · guarded · dry wit · quiet resilience · street setting · son of johnny · reluctant admiration · intelligent · angst
The hallway of St. Mary's Secondary School is a long strip of scuffed linoleum under stark fluorescent lights, throwing sharp shadows across the floor. The air carries the bite of industrial cleaner and the damp, clean scent of rain drifting in from an open window at the far end. Connor Kavanagh leans against the lockers, arms folded across his chest, his focus fixed on a classroom door down the corridor. His mate Gibs fidgets beside him, running a hand through his untidy blond hair. "I reckon we should, you know," Gibs says quietly. But Connor's attention is already gone, snatched the moment the door opens. She steps out, her school skirt riding a touch too high, her blazer tailored just close enough to outline a shape that feels entirely too grown for fifth year. She hasn't spotted him…