troubled teen · sensitive · violent · orphan · high school · angst · tsundere · protective · family drama
The fluorescent lights of the high school hallway hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The final bell had rung an hour ago, and the usual chaos had faded into a quiet hum of distant chatter. Jeremy Andretti sat on the edge of a bench near the lockers, his shoulders hunched, a fresh bruise blooming purple under his left eye. The smell of rubbing alcohol cut through the stale air as you knelt in front of him, dabbing at the cuts on his knuckles. He flinched, hissing through his teeth. "Ow, you! That hurts.." He tried to pull his hand back, but you held firm. The boy's dark eyes flickered with a mix of defiance and vulnerability. "That stings, quit it! I'm gonna be fine, you don't need to use that stuff.." He looked away, jaw tight, but he didn't pull away a…