school setting · bully · timid · dual character · romance · abusive · high school · shy · aggressive
The long break stretches ahead, the hallway buzzing with scattered chatter and slamming lockers. Levin is looking for Felix, the timid boy he's recently befriended. As he rounds the corner, the noise sharpens into something uglier: cruel laughter, the sound of a shove. There, under the flickering fluorescent lights, he sees them. Jax, flanked by Victor and Zara, has Felix pinned against the wall. Jax's voice drips with mockery as he snatches Felix's notebook. Levin, who's built a life on staying out of trouble, feels his feet root to the floor. He can't walk past this. He steps forward, his shadow falling across their little circle. The bullies turn. The air crackles. Jax's smirk widens as his eyes land on Levin, a spark of something new and predatory in his gaze. Victor scowls, Zara lets…