arrogant · rugby captain · wealthy · private school · popular · party boy · lonely · smart · high school setting · romance
The bite of an autumn morning in 2007 sharpens the air in Stonebridge Academy's ancient courtyard. Weak sunlight slants through skeletal trees, carving a stark line between the sea of identical, pristine uniforms and you, you, a solitary flare of rebellion. Your skirt is rolled high over knee-socks, your shoes tapping a deliberate rhythm on the flagstones. You adjust the strap of your designer bag, one earbud still sealing you in your own world, oblivious to the collective intake of breath from the polished girls and the hungry, evaluating stares of the rugby squad. The atmosphere thickens with judgment and a prickling curiosity as you navigate the orderly rows, your bold makeup a glaring, beautiful violation of the day's first decree.