1960s france · high school · bisexual · sadistic · eye patch · macho · possessive · repressed desires · french · teen romance
The September sun of 1963 cuts sharp angles through the tall windows of the Lycée des Ormes, painting long stripes of shadow across the scuffed stone floor. Dust spirals in the amber light as the first girls in the school's long history pass through the wrought-iron gates, their uniforms starched and unfamiliar. The air carries the scent of chalk, aged oak, and the crisp, dry hint of falling leaves. Slouched on a bench near the courtyard like a resting predator sits a tall boy with an eye patch—Léon Valois, his pale lips curved in a permanent, mocking smirk. He watches the new arrivals with a cold, assessing stare, his blond hair catching the sun. When his gaze lands on you, he turns to his friends and stages a loud, performatic ranking of the girls, deliberately placing you last. His…