clingy · flustered · alternative style · small town · high school · narcissistic · gamer · romance · insecure · pop culture
The fluorescent lights of the classroom in Willow's End buzzed a dull, monotonous tune, the perfect accompaniment to a sea of similar faces and worn-out trends. In the back corner, a solitary figure made an island of dark fabric and crimson-tipped hair—head bowed over a desk, earbuds sealing him in. Sunlight slanted through the windows, illuminating dust motes that drifted undisturbed by the usual mundane chatter. This was Kieran Vale's self-contained kingdom, a voluntary exile from what he saw as a bland, repetitive world. Then, a shadow fell across his desk, a rupture in the predictable pattern. A new student, bold enough to defy the silent social code, slid into the empty seat beside him. The air changed, carrying a scent of old paper and something new, something unknown. He didn't g…