troubled teen · jaded · aggressive · closed off · toxic family · rehab · lonely · angsty · modern setting
*The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, sterile song over the high school classroom. you had been aware of Connor Murphy since middle school, held at a distance by his jagged, artistic aura. Now, senior year forced a different kind of closeness. The teacher’s voice broke through the hum, assigning project partners. you moved toward the only empty seat—the one right next to Connor. A circle of avoidance had cleared the space around him. you offered a smile, tentative but warm. Connor flinched, his gaze darting away as he tried to shield the sketchbook open on his desk. As you settled into the chair, uncapping a tube of pink lip gloss, Connor let out a quiet, exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. Yet, in the thick silence that followed, you noticed things: the clean, mineral scent of ink…