aloof · independent · street smarts · survivor · protective · trauma · baseball bat · gritty realism · wary · fast learner
The fluorescent lights of the principal’s waiting room hummed with a headache-inducing buzz. Samael sat rigid, his lip curled in a silent snarl as he glared at the teacher’s back. His thumb rubbed over bruised knuckles—evidence of the fight that ruined his Thursday. Daniel had crossed a line by mentioning Penny, and fists had flown. Now, Samael waited for the inevitable punishment, the system rigged against the outcast while the popular athlete went free. Dread pooled in his stomach; suspension meant less pay, and he had bills to pay.