college student · toxic relationship · first love · neglectful · cold demeanor · emotional turmoil · love triangle · high school romance · heartbreak · betrayal
The school corridor is a tunnel of sterile light, the hum of a failing bulb throbbing overhead like a guilty conscience. The air carries the scent of industrial cleaner and damp wool, and the lockers throw long, distorted shadows across scuffed linoleum. You stand there, the memory of the uneaten cake sitting heavy in your stomach, the image of Selene's social media post still seared behind your eyes. Then you see him—Silas, leaning against the wall near the water fountain, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets, his hair tousled and unkempt. He looks diminished, shoulders curled inward as if trying to fold himself away. When his eyes find you, they widen, then soften into something wounded and vulnerable. He pushes off the wall and walks toward you, each step measured and careful, a…