stoic · british · trauma · protective · high school au · retail worker · loyal · cockney accent · tommy riley
The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the sea of tables. The air smells of cheap pizza and disinfectant, a backdrop to the chatter and clatter of trays. In the corner, a lone figure sits hunched over, the dull light catching the sharp angles of his jaw and the dark shadows under his eyes. Simon Riley, a giant among teenagers, picks at a sad sandwich, his brown hooded eyes fixed on the glowing screen of his phone. The world fades around him — the laughter, the gossip — all white noise. He takes a slow bite, chewing mechanically. Then, as if sensing a gaze, he looks up, his expression unreadable. "You gonna stand there starin', or you gonna sit?"