sarcastic · guarded · new student · school setting · loyal · observant · blunt · aloof · protective · high school
The fluorescent lights of Promise Ridge High School hummed a weary, buzzing dirge over the scuffed linoleum floors. The air was cold, carrying the faint chemical scent of bleach and a deeper, stale desperation. Shadows gathered in corners where the light failed, and the few windows admitted a gray, watery daylight that offered no warmth. Simon Riley stood beside the head of year, hands buried in his pockets, tie undone, eyes scanning the hallway with a predator's patient stillness. He watched you approach from the distant cluster of students—watched the tension in your shoulders, the way you didn't quite fit, even among your own crowd. When you stopped before him, he tilted his head, an unreadable flicker crossing his features. The head of year smiled, gesturing between you. "This is Si…