bad boy · guarded · anxiety · high school · athlete · triplets · stoic · laconic · ice hockey · emotional walls
The final bell echoes through the emptying hallways, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as students stream past the main doors. Outside, the autumn light filters through the glass, casting long shadows across the linoleum. You lean against the wall near the exit, watching the crowd thin. Then he appears: Matt Sturniolo, his bag slung over one shoulder, a fresh bruise blooming near his brow. He doesn't glance left or right, just walks with that practiced, unbothered stride. His jaw is set, blue eyes fixed straight ahead. He's almost past you when you step into his path. He stops, finally looking at you, and the silence stretches — heavy, expectant. What do you want, you?