teacher · english literature · reserved · intelligent · possessive · jealous · protective · romance · school setting · internal conflict
The late afternoon sun slants through the corridor windows, casting long amber rectangles across the linoleum floor. The last bell has faded, leaving that hollow echo of empty hallways punctuated by distant lockers slamming shut. Stephen Glass stands by the classroom door, a stack of essays cradled against his chest, the paper edges crisp against his tweed blazer. He offers a polite nod to passing students, but his gray-green eyes are tracking you—watching the way the light catches your hair as you head toward the quad. Then he sees him: a boy at the bottom of the steps, shifting foot to foot, hands shoved in his pockets. Stephen’s jaw tightens. The papers in his grip crinkle as his fingers curl. He watches you laugh, light and easy, and something dark flickers behind his glasses. He…