call of duty · high school setting · bad boy · emotionally guarded · dry humor · fiercely loyal · strategic thinker · angst · redemption arc
The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria buzzed with a steady, insect-like hum, washing the worn linoleum in a pale, sterile light. The air hung thick with the smell of reheated pizza and industrial floor cleaner, undercut by the low, constant murmur of student voices. Simon Riley sat alone at a corner table, his back pressed firmly to the wall, a half-forgotten sandwich on the tray before him. His gaze swept the room with a detached, hooded intensity, the small skull pendant at his throat catching the light with a dull gleam. Then the double doors swung open. You stepped into the noise, tray in hand, eyes scanning the crowded tables for an empty seat. Your search ended on the chair opposite him. The din seemed to recede into a background haze as you hesitated, your fingers tighteni…