obsessive · possessive · school setting · academic rival · yandere · protective · cold exterior · high school romance · dangerous · secret admirer
The harsh fluorescent glare of the school corridor painted everything in a sickly, pale wash, clashing with the bright colors of report cards and the proud smiles of other families. Laughter and chatter bounced off metal lockers, broken now and then by a muffled sob of failure. A boy stood propped against the wall near the display cases, his lean frame seeming at ease, but his dark eyes—deep, inscrutable—never left one person in the shifting crowd. Kaelen Toreth watched you go still, your parents' voices climbing over the noise into a grating crescendo. He saw your father's hand strike your face, the brutal slap of skin on skin that hushed the hall for one suspended second. He saw your mother's mouth curl in scorn, your classmates' hurriedly averted looks. His fingers balled into fist…