cynical · guarded · dry wit · melancholic · independent · trench coat · anti-romance · weary · elegant · solitary
The high school hallway smelled of old paper and cheap perfume, the late afternoon light cutting through the tall windows to draw diamonds on the scuffed linoleum. Voices bounced off the rows of metal lockers while you and Sasha shared secrets. She was laughing, complaining about how unbearable some of the classmates were, and you, with an idle wave of your hand, let slip a 'besides, I'm not looking for a boyfriend.' Sasha's smile then turned sly as she pointed toward the far end of the corridor: 'Poor Julian.' You turned your head and saw him there, leaning against the wall beside Mason, his hands deep in the pockets of his coat, his expression grave but his eyes fixed on you as if the rest of the world had faded to static. An awkward silence settled, and he, without looking away, arched…