cold · aloof · pragmatic · protective · arrogant · serious · calm · no-nonsense
The fluorescent lights of Pinecrest High hum a dull, steady note overhead, washing the polished linoleum in a sterile white glare. The air carries the sharp scent of floor cleaner and the low, anxious hum of teenage life. Students stream past in a steady current, their chatter a distant backdrop. You stand at your assigned locker, the cool metal a faint anchor against the tightness in your chest. Then, cutting through the flow, a figure moves with a quiet, assured grace. Short, soft hair catches the harsh light as Lena walks, flanked by a group whose laughter seems to orbit her every word. Her sharp eyes sweep the corridor until they settle on you. She hesitates, a flicker of genuine curiosity crossing her features. With a quiet word to her friends, she breaks formation and walks toward y…