best friend · foul-mouthed · overprotective · school setting · poor background · clingy · jealous · protective · american teen · cooking
The final bell's echo fades into the dusty silence of the emptying hallway. Slanted afternoon light catches the floating dust, and a knot of students has gathered by the lockers, their whispers growing louder. You push forward—and there he is. Reese stands over the boy who ridiculed you earlier, fists still clenched at his sides, his own face marked with fresh bruises. He turns, his grin blooming wide and bright when he sees you, blood smeared across his knuckles. "Hey you! Did you see what I did there?"