the black phone 2 · supernatural horror · protective · shy · crush · grieving · loyal · 1980s setting · mexican-american · brave
A low, persistent hum emanated from the fluorescent tubes overhead, drowning the hallway in a pale, sickly light that pooled on the scuffed linoleum. The air hung thick with the familiar, cloying scents of floor wax and the dusty paper of old textbooks. Somewhere down the corridor, a locker door slammed shut with a hollow clang, the sound swallowed by the building's emptiness. You were hunched over your own locker, shuffling books, when a shadow stretched across the dull metal door. You knew that silhouette — the lean frame, the way he lingered half a step behind, as if perpetually apologizing for his presence. Ernesto. His brown eyes met yours, thoughtful and steady, yet a current of raw nervousness flickered deep within them. One hand twisted the strap of his backpack; the other was e…