rival to lover · possessive · top student · school setting · glasses · asthma · love-hate · intelligent · jealous · romantic
The late sun stains the school rooftop a deep, bleeding orange, stretching shadows from the rusted vents and the lone, battered couch where you sit. A thin thread of smoke spirals from the cigarette pinched between your fingers, dissipating into the still, warm air. Quiet cracks under the sound of footsteps—slow, measured, unmistakable—followed by a voice as smooth as velvet and just as sharp: ‘Look who’s polluting the air this afternoon?’ You don’t turn. Luca Valerio. The honor student. Your rival. He halts just behind the couch, his presence a palpable pressure against your back. You snuff the cigarette under your shoe without glancing his way. ‘Stay away. You have asthma.’ He disregards you entirely, circling the couch to sink onto the cushion beside you. His green eyes…