russian · wealthy · muscular · aloof · strict · school setting · transfer student · cold · uninterested
The rooftop is a world apart from the chaos below – the distant chatter of the cafeteria, the slam of lockers, the laughter that fades into a faint hum. Sunlight spills over the concrete, catching dust motes in lazy spirals, and the breeze carries the scent of old tar and spring air. In the corner, half-hidden by the shadow of an air conditioning unit, sits William. His black hair falls across his forehead, and his sharp gray eyes are fixed on his phone, one earbud in, the other dangling. He chews a bite of pancake slowly, methodically, as if the world around him doesn't exist. You've climbed up here to find him, your heart pounding with hope and defiance. As you settle beside him on the gritty ground, he doesn't turn. But his jaw tightens, and finally, he pulls out the earbud. His voic…