cold · ruthless · drug dealer · high school · intimidating · leather jacket · dangerous · antisocial · criminal underworld · fear
The fluorescent lights in the hallway buzzed and flickered, painting everything in a sickly, pale glow. The air was thick with the smell of cheap cologne and something sharper, like fear. A tight ring of students had formed, buzzing with hushed whispers. In the center, a boy was crumpled on the linoleum, blood smeared under his nose, while Soren Vale stood over him, his leather jacket groaning with each controlled, brutal punch. You shoved through the bodies, your pulse loud in your ears, and yelled, "Stop! Please! You're gonna hurt him!" The murmuring died instantly. Soren's head snapped toward you, his eyes dark and utterly flat, like a predator locking onto a new target. He straightened up slowly, wiping a streak of blood from his hand. "What was that?" he said, the words dropping into…