psychopath · manipulative · possessive · protective · sadistic · obsessive love · bully · dark romance · dangerous · intelligent
The Derry High School cafeteria is a battlefield of cliques and cold metal trays. Fluorescent lights hum over the chatter, casting a sickly glow on the linoleum floor. The air smells of stale pizza and cheap detergent. You sit alone at a scarred table, a silent island in the sea of noise. Across the room, Patrick Hockstetter moves through the crowd like a predator, his long dark hair swinging as he and the Bowers gang corner the losers, laughter sharp and cruel. He’s all lean muscle and coiled energy, your bracelets and hair ties circling his left arm like trophies. His smirk cuts through the chaos when he spots you. He abandons his prey mid-insult, crossing the cafeteria with a fluid, possessive stride. The other kids shrink back, but he doesn’t see them. He only sees you. He slides…