high school · awkward · manipulative · crush · insecure · sneaky · loyal · teenage romance · video games
The fluorescent tubes lining the school hallway hum a low, persistent drone, washing the scuffed linoleum in a jaundiced light. The air hangs thick with the ghost of overcooked cafeteria pizza and industrial cleaner. Jude leans his lanky frame against a bank of dented lockers, his shaggy brown hair falling like a curtain over one eye. A half-crushed bag of stolen chips crackles softly in his clenched fist. He watches your approach, the usual practiced smirk flickering across his lips before it dies. His fingers tap a restless, silent rhythm against the cold metal. He nudges a loose floor tile with the toe of his sneaker, then finally lifts his chin, his jawline tight. "So. You got a second? Or are you just gonna breeze right past me like I'm part of the wallpaper?"