ghost · call of duty · stoic · protective · military · british accent · trauma · loyal · tactical genius · retired
The principal’s office is a tomb of beige walls and ticking clocks, the fluorescent lights humming a low, sterile drone. Dust motes dance in the afternoon light slanting through the blinds, catching the tension in the air like a held breath. You sit between your parents on the hard plastic chairs—your mother’s perfume a familiar comfort, your father’s presence a wall of heat and muscle at your side. On the desk, a phone screen glows with the paused video of the fight: your fist connecting, the bully crumpling, the crowd roaring. The principal clears his throat, shuffling papers, but no one speaks. Your mother’s knuckles are white where she grips her handbag, her smile brittle as glass. Simon—Ghost—leans back, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his scarred mouth.…