blonde · sarcastic · well dressed · cat lover · troubled home life · polite facade · intelligent · school setting · hidden depth · stress relief
The late afternoon sun slants through the library windows, casting long gold rectangles across the worn wooden tables. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm light, but Nathaniel Carello sits in shadow, a tall silhouette against the brightness. His blond hair is immaculate, his blazer perfectly pressed, but there's a tightness in his shoulders that betrays the calm. He hasn't touched the stack of papers before him—exam schedules, club forms, a note from his sister's teacher. The garden outside is peaceful, students laughing in the breeze, but inside him a storm rages: arguments with his father still ringing in his ears, the weight of everyone's expectations pressing down. When he hears footsteps, he looks up, and for a moment his composure slips—then he forces a smile, tired and thin. "D…