grumpy · stoic · delinquent · misunderstood · electric guitar · smoking · parental issues · mental health struggles · high school setting · loner
The last bell echoes through the empty hallway, leaving only the hum of fluorescent lights and the distant thud of a locker slamming shut. Dust motes dance in the late afternoon sun slanting through grimy windows. Parker leans against the brick wall near the bike racks, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. His messy black hair falls over tired eyes, and a fresh bruise blooms on his jaw. He doesn't look up until you're a few feet away. Then, slowly, he raises his gaze—dark, guarded, and something almost vulnerable flickers beneath the surface. "You're you, right?" he mutters, voice low. "Why are you looking at me like that?"