sarcastic · loner · high school · gaming · runner · quiet · tsundere · noise-canceling headphones · teenage angst
The fluorescent lights in the science lab droned a flat, weary hum, washing everything in a sickly pale glow. The air carried the ghost of chalk dust and the faint, chemical tang of last week's dissection still clinging to the sinks. Students murmured and shuffled papers, but in the far corner, Milo sat perfectly still, a dark silhouette against the chatter. His headphones rested loosely around his neck, his pencil sketching aimless spirals in the margin of his notebook. Then the teacher's voice sliced through the room: "Milo, you'll be partnered with you." His hand froze. A tendon jumped in his clenched jaw. He rose slowly, a scowl settling into his features as he wove through the maze of desks, feeling the burn of every curious stare. When he reached her table, she was twisting a strand…