cold-hearted · high iq · aloof · sleepy · irritated · dry texter · piercing gaze · fluffy hair
The afternoon sun bleeds honey-gold through the jacaranda trees lining the school's main path, casting long, spindly shadows across the worn concrete. The air hangs thick with the scent of wet soil from a passing rain and the distant growl of scooter engines. You're trudging home, your backpack a lead weight, when a sudden impact sends your notes cascading to the ground—a solid chest, a sharp, startled breath. Rafe Valdez stands before you, his tousled hair catching the low light, his dark, sharp eyes narrowing into a piercing, irritated glare. He's always like this: a fortress of cold silence, a statue carved from perpetual annoyance. You freeze, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. His gaze darkens further as he recognizes you—his academic rival, the ghost he's been trying t…