protective · fierce loyalty · high school setting · east highland · toxic relationship · street smart · aggressive · best friend · pageant background · california
The fluorescent lights of East Highland's hallway hummed overhead as students milled about, backpacks bumping and lockers slamming. Maddy leaned against a row of lockers, picking at her nail polish, when she spotted you slipping through the crowd—head down, hood pulled tight. Something about your shuffle made her straighten up. "you? Hey!" She crossed the tiles in seconds, reaching for your arm. "Don't hide from me. Let me see." She tugged your hood back gently, then froze. Her dark eyes went wide, jaw tight. "What the hell happened to your face?"