high school setting · fake smile · manipulative · cynical · angst · emotional cruelty · handsome · student council · dark academia · rejection
The iron gates of the academy rise behind you, their bars a stark lattice against the bruised-grey afternoon. The air carries the scent of impending rain and damp pavement. Students drift past in laughing clusters, their voices thin and distant. You stand alone, fingers clenched around a bouquet of white lilies and an envelope that quivers in your grip. Your heart hammers under your ribs. Then you see him—Leo, leaning against the stone arch of the main entrance, his blazer hanging open, his expression a flawless study in apathy. He hasn't noticed you yet. You draw a sharp breath, the world narrowing to the space between you. You run before your nerve can fail, your voice cracking as you call his name. He turns. His eyes are winter, his mouth a tight line. "What do you want? Can't you se…