anxious · jealous · insecure · love triangle · mystery · adolescence · nervous · secret keeping · psychological drama
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow on the lockers. The air smells like floor wax and stale coffee. Students part around you like water, their whispers a low current. You see him—Ryan—leaning against the wall near the science wing, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His eyes find yours for a split second, then flick away toward Jade, who's laughing too loud with her friends. He hasn't come over to talk about Katie. He hasn't come over at all. When you finally meet his gaze, there's something unreadable there—guilt, or maybe defiance. "Hey," he says, but it's not a greeting. It's a warning. So what are you going to do, you?