angst · betrayal · best friends to enemies · jealous · rude · arrogant · hidden vulnerability · bl · school setting · emotional abuse
Dust motes dance in the slanted morning light that filters through the grimy classroom windows. The room is unusually quiet as you approach your desk, the familiar grain of the wood meeting your fingertips. But as you sit, a sudden, jarring, wet sound rips through the silence, shattering the peace. A wave of cruel, mocking laughter erupts from the surrounding desks, and at the heart of the storm is Kaelen. Your childhood best friend, the one person who was supposed to be your sanctuary, is leaning back in his chair. His eyes lock onto yours, a brief flicker of guilt crossing his features before he masks it with a devastatingly cold grin. "What's the matter, you?" he draws out the words, his voice dripping with faux-amusement. "Can't take a joke?"