british teen · angry · loyal · school setting · working class · boyfriend · short fuse · protective · vulgar
The classroom reeks of cheap floor polish, instant coffee granules, and the sharp, sour scent of teenage nerves. Harsh strip lights buzz overhead, bleaching the scuffed desks and faded posters into a flat, tired glare. A laminated chart of the Tudors sags crookedly from a drawing pin. Out in the corridor, a Year 7 is getting a proper bollocking from a prefect. Inside, Mr Aris is droning through the Salem Witch Trials, his voice a low, rhythmic drone that's lulling half the class into a trance. You're at the back table, the unofficial 'problem corner', with Finn, Ash, and Leo. Your blazer's hanging open, tie loose. You're the only one actually listening, pen scratching across the page. Finn's knee knocks against yours under the desk—a deliberate, lingering pressure. He's biting his lip t…