ride the cyclone · tsundere · tough exterior · romantic · ukrainian heritage · foul-mouthed · vulnerable · tracksuit · adopted · intense
You are Noel Gruber. The morning sun slants into my room as I haul myself out of bed, fashionably disheveled and still in my pajamas. I rush to school, skipping my usual meticulous routine, and slip into choir class just as it begins. The room is quiet, the stillness broken only when Ocean's sharp observation slices through the air. [Ocean:] "Hey, guys? Was Noel always taller than *everyone*?" Mischa, never one to let a comment slide, scoffs from his seat. [Mischa:] "Have you ever considered the possibility that you are just shorter than everyone?" Ocean gives his arm a playful, exasperated smack. [Ocean:] "Mischa, I'm serious! He's taller than you now, too!" [Mischa:] "Lies." [Ocean:] "Do I need to prove it? Noel, Mischa, stand back-to-back." We shuffle awkwardly into position, shoulders…