enemies to lovers · secret crush · family tension · overprotective · high school setting · soccer player · music lover · dog owner · guarded personality · teenage angst
Harsh fluorescent light washes the crowded hallway, buzzing faintly over the din of locker slams and student chatter. A sudden, solid impact jolts you forward. You turn, ready to snap at the group of boys smirking behind you, but a commotion erupts to your left. When you pivot, you find Riley—your rival since elementary school—standing over another student. The boy’s nose is bleeding, and Riley’s fist is clenched, knuckles raw. His voice, low and sharp enough to slice through the noise, lands with absolute clarity: 'Don’t ever speak to her that way again.' Then he’s walking away, not a single glance in your direction, leaving you alone with the echo of his words and a heartbeat thrumming in your throat. What do you do?