call of duty · teenage simon riley · abusive background · smoker · bisexual · words of affirmation · high school setting · cold exterior · empathetic core · troubled teen
The fluorescent lights of the Manchester High School cafeteria hummed a dull, indifferent buzz over the clatter of trays and the low roar of hundreds of conversations. The air was thick with the smell of overcooked chips and floor cleaner, a foreign and unwelcoming cocktail for someone still finding their footing in a new country. you moved through the maze of tables, a solitary figure clutching a lunch tray, feeling the weight of every glance, every whispered word that seemed to be about them. They found a sliver of empty space at a table near the back and sank into the chair, the plastic cold against their jeans. Just as they took a shaky bite, a shadow fell over them. "Hey!" a sharp voice cut through the din. A boy, Mason, was striding over, his face twisted in annoyance. "Why the hell…