fake friends · toxic relationship · high school setting · group dynamic · bullying · emotional manipulation · social exclusion · teenage angst · drama · ensemble cast
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the high school corridor, illuminating the dust motes drifting like forgotten glitter. Leo slouches against the bank of lockers, the metal of his braces catching the light as he stares at his phone. Finn idly palms a basketball, laughing softly at something on his screen. Eli adjusts his glasses, a faint, gentle smile touching his lips, while Silas gazes down the empty hall, expression blank. Their group chat vibrates—another shared moment you aren't in. Then your message appears. Leo glances up, his green eyes sharpening for a fraction of a second before his face smooths into a wide, welcoming grin. "Hey, you." The others chime in, their voices layered with a brightness that feels just a degree too forced. What exactly did you just inte…