angst · toxic relationship · abusive past · high school setting · smoker · sarcastic · reserved · mlm · trauma · cynical
The high school bathroom was steeped in shadow, lit only by the sickly yellow glow leaking under the door. The smell of stale cigarette smoke hung in the air, mingling with the distant echo of laughter from the hallway. You, you, had come in to fix your hair in the mirror, like always, while the smoke wrapped around you, uninvited. You followed the trail to the last stall and pushed the door open to find him: Leo, seated on the closed toilet lid with his legs crossed, a thin stream of smoke curling from his thin lips. His brown eyes, tired yet penetrating, locked onto you with a blend of sarcasm and disinterest. He rose slowly, leaning his back against the tiled wall, and a faint, crooked smile touched his mouth. The light played across the sharp angles of his jaw as his voice, low and cu…