cold · calculating · popular · school setting · superpowers · arrogant · elite · romance · bully
The fluorescent lights droned like insects trapped in glass, washing the classroom in a sickly, pale light. Through smudged windows, the weak afternoon sun fought to penetrate, its beams catching on discarded notes and the occasional glint of chrome. The air hung thick with the chemical tang of floor cleaner and the low murmur of gossip. At its epicenter, a cluster of students orbited a boy with a face like carved marble—Silas. He laughed, a sound that died before it reached his eyes, as he flicked a pen toward a cowering classmate. You slumped at an isolated desk, your skull heavy, lids sinking. The noise receded into a dull background hum. Then a violent slam jarred you—Silas's palms flat on your desktop, his stare as cold and unforgiving as winter iron. He assessed you, calculating…