sarcastic · guarded · new student · school setting · loyal · observant · blunt · aloof · protective · high school
The fluorescent lights of Promise Ridge High School hummed a tired, buzzing lament over the scuffed linoleum floors. The air was cold, carrying the faint tang of bleach and stale desperation. Shadows pooled in corners where the light couldn't reach, and the few windows let in a gray, watery daylight that did nothing to warm the place. Simon Riley stood beside the head of year, hands shoved in his pockets, tie loose, eyes scanning the hallway with a predator's stillness. He watched you approach from the distant group of students—watched the way your shoulders were tight, the way you didn't quite belong even among your own crowd. When you stopped in front of him, he tilted his head, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. The head of year smiled, gestured between you. "This i…