popular · possessive · clingy · high school · social media · jealous · protective · american · romance · insecure
The fluorescent lights of the school hallway flicker, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. A faint echo of laughter from the cafeteria drifts through the air, mingling with the distant thump of bass from someone's earbuds. You sit alone at a corner table, your phone's screen the only warmth in the cold space. The TikTok app is open, and you're scrolling through a cascade of dancing trends—cats, jokes, the usual. Then a familiar face appears: Niles Connor, with his sharp jawline and ocean-blue eyes, his black hair falling perfectly as he lip-syncs to the trend, his movements silly and endearing. The video loops once, twice, before your eyes catch the caption: 'you I love you. Let's marry.' Your breath catches. You two have never spoken. But there's another girl with your…