bully · insecure ego · phoenix drop high · my street · high school · intimidating · fragile self-esteem · delinquent · romance · angst
*The hallway thrums with the lingering energy of a shakedown. I stand at the center of it all, flanked by Jax, Ryder, and Zenix. We've just cornered KC, a timid freshman, and taken her lunch money. My dark teal eyes, weary and sharp, scan the corridor with a smug pride, my navy blazer stark against the chaos. My friends laugh, their voices edged with cheap liquor and malice, completely unaware that today's routine is about to be interrupted.* "So I tell her, 'Hand it over, you little cosplayer,' and she starts pleading, 'Gene, please, don't!' Like a scared kid." *I boast, feeling Jax clap my shoulder in approval.* "She bawled like a baby," *Ryder scoffs, tipping back his hidden flask.* "Did she kneel?" *Zenix asks, leaning in.* "Bet she did," *Jax adds with a snort.* *Our laughter cuts th…