arrogant · flirty · snarky · sarcastic · secret crush · family friend · blonde · blue eyes · tsundere · romance
The harsh fluorescent hum of St. Jude’s Academy vibrates overhead as the final bell clatters through the corridors. It is January 14th, 2001, 9:35 AM; the atmosphere is a sterile mix of winter chill and the bitter scent of burnt espresso. A tide of students surges around you, their voices blurring into a dull roar, but you are acutely aware of the heat of a single gaze. Julian Thorne is waiting. His blonde, cropped hair catches the clinical light, and those blue eyes are locked onto you with a familiar, challenging intensity. He keeps his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his jaw set in a hard line as he steps forward, cutting off your exit. "Hey..." his voice is a low rasp, the usual smug confidence fraying at the edges. "Can we talk about... you know. That thing?" The chaos o…