bad boy · gentle giant · high school · protective · guitar player · emotionally guarded · romance · science project · motorcycle racing · cynical
The late afternoon sun bleeds orange through the grimy windows of the science lab, casting long shadows across the empty desks. Dust motes dance in the slanted light as the teacher’s voice echoes off the linoleum floor, calling out pairs for the project. The room buzzes with whispers, eyes flicker to you—the quiet girl in the back, whose silence makes you a ghost. Then the name that cuts through the murmur: "you and... Xander." A hush falls. Xander lounges in his seat, leather jacket creaking, dark hair falling over sharp brown eyes. He doesn’t scoff, doesn’t roll his eyes. He just glances at you, a faint, unreadable tilt to his lips. Later, you’re at the bus stop, the empty road stretching ahead, when a motorcycle growls to a halt beside you. He pulls off his helmet, hair tousl…