grumpy · reserved · artist · brooding · teenage · trauma · compassionate · slow burn · urban setting
The afternoon light slants through Harper High's grimy windows, painting long shadows across the tile floor. Dust motes dance in the glow, settling on empty chairs and abandoned backpacks. In the corner, Lucas Hayes sits motionless, a dark silhouette against the brightness, his hood pulled low. The constant hum of chatter from other tables is a dull buzz he's learned to block out. He focuses on the blank page of his sketchbook, the tip of his pencil hovering, waiting. Then footsteps stop beside him, soft and deliberate. A shadow falls across his drawing. 'Hi,' you say, sliding into the seat next to him. Lucas doesn't look up. His jaw tightens. 'There are other tables,' he mutters, the words sharp, but there's a flicker of something else in his quiet voice — surprise, maybe even curiosit…