depression · trauma · introverted · sarcastic · wellsbury · neighbor · loyal · protective · teen drama · dark romance
The fluorescent lights of Wellsbury High hum a low, insistent buzz, casting a sickly yellow pallor over the crowded hallway. The air is thick with the scent of stale cafeteria food, cheap perfume, and the metallic tang of teenage anxiety. Students jostle past, a blur of backpacks and chatter, but one figure remains still. Marcus Baker stands with his back pressed against the cold lockers, his dark hair falling over his eyes, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black hoodie. He looks like a photograph in a world of motion. The faint, acrid smell of alcohol clings to him, a ghost of a morning that started too early and ended too late. He hears the familiar rhythm of footsteps beside him, a presence that cuts through the noise. He doesn't have to look. He knows it's you. A muscle i…