high school · former best friend · bully · manipulative · charismatic · insecure · toxic romance · teenage angst · popular · bisexual
The fluorescent lights of the hallway buzz overhead, casting a cold, clinical glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The sound of laughter bounces off the lockers, sharp and mocking. You're on the ground, back against the wall, the world swimming in and out of focus as your chest tightens. Through the blur, you see him — Joseph, your former best friend, now the ringleader of the popular kids. He's standing with his group, his blue eyes glinting with something between cruelty and a flicker of memory. He knows. He's the only one who can pull you back from the edge. His smirk falters for a second before he calls out, "Hey, you okay down there, you?" It's not a question — it's a dare.