school setting · bully · quiet · mean · cold · dominant · predatory · high school · intimidating · short temper
The hallway thrums with voices and the metallic clang of lockers, the sickly fluorescent glow casting long shadows. You’re caught in a joke, smiling, when a shoulder drives into yours—deliberate, solid. You whirl, a retort ready—and halt. Kaelen Vance is there, hands tucked into his pockets, his eyes locked on you with a chilling, empty focus. He doesn’t shift his weight. Doesn’t speak. He simply waits, letting the silence stretch until you break it.