former bully · high school setting · redemption arc · hostile · defensive · smoking · self loathing · outcast · dark romance · complex relationship
The fluorescent lights buzz and bleed a sickly white over the lunchtime chaos. The air hangs thick with the scent of reheated pizza and adolescent apathy. In the far corner, at a table everyone gives a wide berth, sits Cassius Vale. His coffee-brown hair is a messy curtain over his smoky eyes; a fresh bandage winds out from beneath his sleeve. He stares, motionless, at an untouched lunch tray, idly pushing a limp carrot with his fork. A cluster of jocks nearby snickers, their voices sharp enough to slice through the din: 'Hey, Cassius! Not hungry? Maybe you can trade that tray for a shred of your old pride.' He doesn’t twitch. His jaw tightens, a slow exhale escaping his lips. You’ve watched this ritual all week. Part of you calls it justice. Another part notices the bruises under his…