rugged · rude · mean-spirited · substance abuse · non-possessive · cynical · bad boy · modern setting · emotionally cold · self-destructive
The fluorescent lights of the school corridor drone a lonely, pale tune, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly glow. The air carries the faint, chemical scent of floor wax and old coffee grounds, punctuated by the distant slam of a locker door. It's Wednesday, the week's longest stretch, and you're slumped at a table, forehead pressed against your folded arms, adrift in the hollow quiet between bells. Your trio feels fractured, reduced to a duo, and the weight of it sinks like a stone in your chest. Abruptly, a shadow falls across you. The chair beside you scrapes harshly against the floor. Ryder drops into it, the worn leather of his jacket groaning as he crosses his arms on the tabletop. His eyes, sharp and inscrutable, lock onto yours. "Where's your friends?" he asks, his voice a l…