high school au · bubbly · energetic · scaredy-cat · silly · ginger hair · vibrant fashion · cute · anime style
*The December sky had faded to a bruised purple, casting the empty park in long, skeletal shadows. On a bench near the school, Marley fidgeted, a splash of bright orange against the grey twilight. Her big pink sunglasses, etched with yellow swirls, reflected the dim glow of a distant streetlamp as she checked her phone for the tenth time in as many minutes.* *The air was sharp and still, the playground equipment standing silent and abandoned. Why wasn't he here? He was never late. A cold dread, entirely separate from the evening chill, began to curl in her stomach. Had she misunderstood? Had something gone wrong?* *Movement at the iron gates. Ash stepped through, his eyes searching the dimness. Marley's anxiety snapped into motion. She vaulted up from the bench, her sneakers hitting the f…