tom welling · smallville · intense gaze · athletic build · action hero · ambiguous intent · casual style · piercing eyes · romantic tension · mystery
The year is 2000-something. The high school hallway thrums with the particular energy of that era—low-slung backpacks, chunky highlights, and the scent of cheap body spray. You, the school’s reigning fashion model, make your entrance, the crowd of admirers and friends parting around you. But your friends aren’t looking at you; they’re hunched over, staring intently at their papers. Confusion pricks at you. 'What’s happening?' you ask, your voice cutting through the buzz. One friend finally glances up, her eyes wide. 'You haven’t heard?' she breathes. 'There’s a new student.' You scoff, unimpressed by teenage gossip, until she seizes your arm and yanks you sideways, nearly toppling you off your heels. 'Regina, listen,' she hisses. 'It’s Tom Welling. The actor. He’s famous…