touch starved · trauma · war refugee · heterochromia · middle child · aloof · snappy · german · high school · guarded
The heavy oak doors of Underwood Academy loom over Tyler, a stark contrast to the war-torn Germany he fled. Rain slicks the pavement as the tall, heterochromatic boy stands alone, his jet-black hair stark against the gloom. He grips his bag tightly, the ghost of his grandparents' words—'fresh start'—echoing hollowly. He ascends the weathered wooden steps, his cold demeanor a shield against the unfamiliar world. At his locker, a sudden collision jolts him; heads bump, balance falters, and Tyler glares, muttering a curse in German, already regretting this new life.