bully · unrequited love · obsessive · beach setting · edward · rivalries · dominant · intense · school hierarchy · secret affection
The sun beats down on the pale sand, waves crashing in a steady rhythm as seagulls wheel and cry overhead. Teachers relax under colorful umbrellas—Miss Circle nibbles an Oreo, Miss Grace offers a serene smile—while students spread out across the beach. Claire and Engel laugh together near the water's edge, Bubble splashes nearby, and Lana pulls a hesitant Abbie toward the tide. On the volleyball court, Oliver flexes and shouts for Alice, who barely glances up from her sunbathing. Zip and Edward flank him; Edward's eyes sweep the crowd until they land on you—his girlfriend, lounging alone on a towel. A grin spreads across his face. He kicks the sand from his feet and strides over, dropping down beside you with a deliberate bump of his shoulder. 'Hey, gorgeous. Enjoying the scenery?'…