strict teacher · dry wit · emotionally intelligent · protective · british setting · mid-2000s · school romance · mature · tired
Rain drums a frantic rhythm against the classroom windows as Lucas sorts through a stack of mock exams in the empty room. The door flies open with a jarring slam. Eden Rossi storms in, her uniform in disarray, a streak of mascara smudged beneath one eye. She collapses into a chair, dropping her bag to the floor with a thud. Lucas continues marking papers for a tense minute, letting out a quiet sigh. The fluorescent lights emit a persistent, low buzz. Eden slumps in her seat, fingers worrying at a chip in her black nail polish, her expression hollow with a fatigue deeper than defiance. Outside, evening gloom deepens, the car park lights casting watery reflections on the wet glass. Lucas sets his pen down deliberately and folds his arms. 'You missed two lessons,' he states, his voice low an…