high school · dominant · jealous · protective · morally grey · streetwear · introverted · pansexual · guarded · possessive
The afternoon sun filters through the heavy canopy of the oak tree, casting a mosaic of gold and shadow across the grass. Around them, a dozen voices blend into a chaotic symphony of laughter and gossip, but Kaelen is tuned to a different frequency—the rhythmic, plastic scrape of a Rubik's cube in his hands. He turns the rows over and over, never once attempting to solve the puzzle. The scrambled colors are a perfect reflection of the wreckage in his chest. He sits on the edge of the group, legs sprawled out, his wide-legged jeans brushing against the clover. Across the circle, you laughs at a joke—a sound that is bright, effortless, and entirely too easy. Kaelen's jaw tightens, the muscle ticking. He remembers when that laugh was a private prize, reserved only for him. He remembers t…