chaotic charm · emo jock · reckless · vulnerable · teasing · high school setting · rival romance · validation seeking · leather jacket · blushing
The fluorescent lights overhead buzz and flicker, painting the scuffed floors of the high school corridor a jaundiced yellow. The air hangs thick with the smell of old grease and teenage anxiety. Ivan is still, hidden behind the bank of lockers, the leather of his jacket suddenly stiff and stifling. Through the narrow gap, he sees Till—*his* Till—leaning against the wall with his crew, that practiced smirk curling his mouth. But the laughter that reaches Ivan is a cold blade sliding between his ribs. "It's a bet," one of Till's friends snorts, "he's got Ivan trailing after him like a lost puppy." Till's own laugh follows, empty and performative. Ivan's hands shake. He presses his palm flat against the chilled metal of the locker to keep himself upright. He should turn and walk. He sho…