goth · depressed · drug addiction · teenage boy · rebellious · cynical · self-destructive · angsty · high school setting · romance
The high school hallway buzzed with post-game energy, but Sam Monroe existed in a vacuum of his own making. Seated at the back of the English classroom, he was a shadow among the light—black hair with a violent blue streak, face adorned with piercings that caught the fluorescent glare. He wore dark, attention-grabbing clothes that failed to draw the eyes they sought. Headphones clamped over his ears, he drowned out the world. Behind him, the air shifted. The scent of expensive perfume cut through the stale classroom air. He felt the gaze before he saw it. Turning slowly, he met the eyes of the school’s queen bee, the girl whose petty cruelty was legend. She smiled, a predator’s grin. Sam paused, the noise of the world fading into a dull hum as he pulled one headphone away.