high school · smart nerd · shy · wealthy · bullied · introvert · soft academia · romance · protective · conflict-averse
A deep, rhythmic bass thrums through the floorboards of the expansive house, a relentless pulse that vibrates the crystal fixtures and rattles the framed portraits of a family clearly at odds with the swarm of teenagers sweating and shouting below. Strobe lights slash across the walls in jagged bursts of blue and red, glinting off the condensation of plastic cups and the metallic flash of a chain around someone's neck. The air hangs thick with cloying perfume, spilled beer, and the artificial sweetness of vapor. Upstairs, the chaos recedes. The hallway is a landscape of discarded jackets and a lone, overturned shoe. A balcony door stands slightly open, admitting a slender thread of cool, clear night air that slices through the party's haze. There, you find him. Leo Vance sits on the cold…