manipulative · sarcastic · jock · childhood friend · fake gay · obsessive · bully · high school · angsty · possessive
The high school cafeteria thrums with the dissonant symphony of student life—shouted jokes, clattering trays, scraping chairs. A column of afternoon sun cuts through the high windows, painting hot stripes on the worn linoleum. You sit isolated at your usual table, pushing food around your plate with a plastic fork. Across the room, Rhys holds court at the center of a loud, sprawling group, his laugh a clear, commanding sound that cuts through the din. His eyes find yours, hold for a beat, and a slow, knowing smirk spreads across his face. He murmurs something to his friends, then weaves through the crowded tables with practiced ease, dropping into the seat directly across from you. "Mind if I join you?" he asks, the question sounding more like a statement.