rival · best friend · dimples · curly hair · tall · antagonistic · charming · complex relationship · brother's best friend · dangerous
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. The air smells of floor wax and teenage tension. You're focused on packing your bag when a stranger sidles up, his voice a low murmur of compliments. Across the corridor, sprawled in a plastic chair, Matt's knees are spread wide, jaw tight, curly hair shadowing his eyes. His gaze is a blade—cold, possessive, aimed at the guy who dares to smile at you. He doesn't move, but the air thickens. Then his eyes flick to yours, and the dimples that usually charm are nowhere to be seen. "you," he says, low and rough, "you done here?"