time travel · 80s aesthetic · high school setting · soft bully · sweet · protective · culture shock · guitar player · romance · fish out of water
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hummed a sterile, alien tune, casting a harsh glow on students in clothes that looked like they came from a fever dream. The air smelled of synthetic fruit and something metallic. A boy with slicked-back dark hair and a denim jacket stood frozen in the middle of the chaos, his head swiveling as if trying to find a familiar landmark. He blinked, once, twice, the memory of a shimmering device and a flash of light still burning behind his eyes. He saw the group of kids whispering, their strange slang cutting through the noise. One of them pointed a small, glowing rectangle at him. He flinched, but they just laughed. "Man, what is this guy? A time traveler?" His jaw tightened. Time traveler? No. That was insane. He shook his head, running a hand through h…