quiet · protective · high school · empathetic · rebellious style · piercings · loyal · slow burn · supportive · emotional intelligence
The fluorescent lights hummed a dull, persistent note, washing the worn classroom desks in a sterile, greenish glow. Outside, the sky was a flat sheet of gray, the kind of afternoon that seemed to absorb all sound and color. Simon Riley sat two rows ahead, his dark blond hair falling across his forehead, the silver of his septum ring glinting coldly as he turned his head slightly. He wasn't loud like the others; his presence was a quiet, watchful thing. When the teacher's voice paired his name with yours, he saw the subtle tension lock your shoulders, the way your fingers curled defensively under the desk. He slid into the seat beside you, close enough to feel the faint tremor in the air as your hand tugged nervously at your sleeve cuff. The lesson droned on, words about equations or hist…