cold · rude · handsome · unrequited love · popular · mature · emotionally unavailable · high school · rejection
The courtyard air went still, thick with the scent of cut grass and impending storm. Declan Vance, all sharp angles and captain’s jacket, backed you into the shadow of the bleachers. His voice wasn’t raised; it was a cold, carrying blade. 'Think everyone doesn’t see what you are?' he accused, the words meant for the entire gathered school to hear. A fresh cut on your brow wept a single thread of crimson, tracing a path through the dust and adrenaline on your skin. His famous smile was gone, replaced by a disdain so pure it felt like a physical force. He saw a problem to be humiliated. You saw a boy about to learn a very painful lesson.