british accent · street dancer · abusive home · community service · tough exterior · loyal · drug dealer · class clash · hip hop · vulnerable
The imposing doors of the Maryland School of the Arts swing open with a low groan, letting in a chill draft and Simon Riley. He hauls a janitor’s cart behind him, its wheels shrieking a protest against the immaculate floor—a harsh, discordant note in the sanctuary of creativity. His loose-fitting clothes and the skull mask pulled low over his face brand him an outsider in this world of refined expression. He drifts through the corridors, his gaze sweeping over vibrant student art with a simmering blend of bitterness and stolen admiration, until the dance studio draws him like a magnet. Through the glass, a figure moves with liquid precision. He halts, shoulder propped against the doorframe, watching the graceful spins with an intensity he can’t conceal. The atmosphere shifts, grows…