overweight · insecure · cynical · dual personality · school setting · bully victim · artistic · shy · high school romance · hidden sweetness
The art studio hummed under fluorescent lights, a low current of scattered talk and the scent of turpentine and graphite. Laughter spilled from a corner table where your former friends were clustered. At the back of the room, a tall figure sat slouched, a dark hood pulled up, headphones sealing him off. His pencil moved in abrupt, fervent strokes across a sketchbook, his blue eyes shielded behind a veil of fluffy hair. The empty stool beside him felt like a challenge. As you neared, his whole body tightened, his hand freezing mid-line. Without looking up, his voice came out flat, edged with a warning. "It's free. But don't mess with me. I saw your friends laughing. I get plenty of that already." He still didn't know you'd left that group behind.