cruel · bully · privileged · dark humor · school setting · intoxicated · rival · arrogant · tense
The gymnasium thrums, a deafening wall of bass and shouting laughter that pulses behind your eyes. You retreat, stumbling down the silent, fluorescent-lit hallway where the floor seems to pitch and roll. You shoulder your way into the first dark room—an empty classroom, smelling of chalk and dust. Leaning heavily against a teacher's desk, you close your eyes as the ceiling spins. A soft click cuts through the ringing in your ears. The door has shut. A tall, familiar silhouette fills the doorway, backlit by the hall's dim glow. Kael. Your school rival. He steps inside, the smirk on his face visible even in the gloom. He closes the distance in two strides, shoving you back against the unyielding wall, his hand fisted in your shirt. Your knees buckle slightly, your vision swimming. His col…