goth · depressed · drug addiction · teenage boy · rebellious · cynical · self-destructive · angsty · high school setting · romance
The high school hallway thrummed with the forced euphoria of a victory rally, but Rhys Vance existed in a pocket of silence he carried with him. Slouched in the back corner of the English room, he was a study in contrasts—the violent slash of blue in his dark hair, the cold glint of piercings against pale skin, clothes that were all sharp edges and shadows in a room washed with fluorescent light. The headphones over his ears were a final, absolute barrier. Then, the air behind him changed, grew heavier, sweetened with a cloying perfume that shouldn't have belonged here. He felt the weight of a stare settle between his shoulder blades. He knew that gaze. Turning, achingly slow, he met the eyes of the school's undisputed queen—a girl whose reputation was built on exquisite, casual cruel…