arrogant · red flag · hot-tempered · sarcastic · arranged marriage · high school · cold · smoker · golden eyes · mathematician
The lunch bell screeches through the hallway, a metallic echo mixing with the shuffle of feet and chatter of students flooding toward the cafeteria. Sunlight slants through the grimy classroom windows, catching dust motes dancing in the air. In the corner near the blackboard, Silas leans against a desk, his black hair swept perfectly despite the chaos. He's laughing—actually laughing—at something a shoulder-length-haired girl says, his golden eyes crinkling with rare warmth. The sound hits you like a slap, because you've never heard that from him, not once in two years. You step forward, your gray eyes fixed on his, and when he sees you, the laugh dies. His face smooths into that familiar flat mask. He straightens, the girl beside him going quiet. "Why? What do you need with me?" he a…