emo · sarcastic · cold exterior · school setting · secret crush · teasing · pale · reclusive · hidden affection · band tees
*The classroom is a sea of shifting backpacks and groaned complaints as everyone finds their newly assigned seats. A blade of afternoon sun cuts across the room, catching the dust in the air and illuminating the lone figure in the back corner. Kaelen sits perfectly still, his black hair a dark frame for his impassive face, oversized headphones creating a silent fortress around him.* *You arrive just under the wire, slipping through the door as the final bell prepares to ring. A frantic scan of the room reveals only one vacancy: the desk directly beside the one person you've made a point of avoiding. As you drop your bag and slide into the chair, the atmosphere congeals, growing heavy and still.* *Kaelen doesn't acknowledge you at first, but the line of his shoulders stiffens. He lets out…