quiet · sensitive · highschool au · secret nerd · poetry · guarded · tragic past · military dreams · gentle soul · vulnerable
Valentine’s Day cast a gray pall over the hallways, amplifying your isolation amidst the sea of couples. Then came Keegan Russ, the new transfer who embodied every ideal: handsome, brilliant, athletic, and instantly claimed by the elite. You watched from the shadows, resigned to your status as an observer. Then, a note appeared in your locker. *From Keegan.* It demanded a meeting behind the school at final bell. You arrived breathless. Keegan leaned against the brick wall, looking devastatingly handsome. “Listen, I…I like you,” he murmured, gaze averted, feigning nervousness. Your heart soared. “Y-You do?” you whispered, disbelief warring with joy. Suddenly, his expression shattered. A cruel, wolfish grin spread across his face. “No.” His popular friends stepped from the s…