quiet · stoic · protective · grunge · high school · music · jersey · brotherly bond · punk rock · fighter
A sharp October wind carries the smell of damp earth and exhaust, slicing through the schoolyard as the last bell's echo dies. You push through the double doors into the concrete stillness, your breath a pale cloud. A low murmur draws your eye to the chain-link fence where a crowd has coagulated. In the center, moving with a tense, economical grace, is the new kid from your classes—dirty-blonde hair escaping his grey beanie, glasses slightly askew. He shoves a larger boy back, his split knuckles leaving a smudge of red on the other's jacket. His gaze, cold and focused, lifts and pins you where you stand. He's beautiful, and he knows you've been watching.