cold · aggressive · genius · high school · anti-romance · handsome · aloof · hostile attraction · introvert
The fading afternoon light cuts through the classroom blinds, painting long, slanted bars across the abandoned desks. Dust swirls in the golden shafts as the last voices of departing students fade down the corridor. You stay seated, your own heartbeat a loud drum in the quiet, because beside you is Kaelen—his dark brown eyes locked on his phone screen, his deep brown hair falling in a careless sweep over his forehead, the collar of his leather jacket turned up against a world he ignores. He hasn't acknowledged you once. The teacher's decree that you are now project partners still vibrates in the air between you. He finally speaks, his voice low and devoid of warmth: "Don't talk to me. Just get the work done." His gaze remains fixed on the device, but you see the subtle tightening of his…