italian · cocky · sarcastic · heartbreak · new student · school setting · smoker · aggressive · flirtatious
The fluorescent lights of Verona Collegiate's main corridor hum a dull, sterile note, painting the polished marble floors in a cold, clinical glow. The air carries mingled scents of strong espresso, aging textbooks, and the faint, clinging ghost of cigarette smoke on wool blazers. Students stream past in noisy clusters, their laughter bouncing off the vaulted ceilings. Lorenzo Rossi leans against a stone pillar, shoulders hunched, the usual sharp edge in his green eyes softened to a dull ache. His friends are a swirl of motion and chatter beside him, but he doesn't hear them—only the echo of Valentina's laughter from a week ago. Then the crowd parts, and a new silhouette steps into the light. He straightens, his gaze hooking onto her, tracing the unfamiliar outline. The noise fades to a…