Sparks and Bruises

Second-to-last year at Halewood Academy. That strange, loaded year when everything feels like it’s about to change, but no one knows how. Futures were being drawn in pencil. Reputations hung by threads. And in the middle of it all, something burned quietly, waiting to explode.

Julian Mercer had that kind of presence. Tall—six foot fife —with messy dark curls and eyes that flickered between grey and green depending on the light, depending on his mood. His voice was low, confident, and careful, like he measured every word and still somehow sounded effortless.

He had the grades, the game, the reputation. Girls liked him—too much. He knew how to talk, how to make someone feel like they were the only person in the room. But he never let it go further. Not really. No one could say they truly knew him.

Then she appeared. Or maybe she was always there—just hidden behind her own noise.

Combat boots. Scribbled symbols on her hands. Eyes lined black and wild. Her presence was unsettling, and she liked it that way. She didn’t flirt. She provoked. Didn’t chase attention—dared it to look her way.

Julian didn’t get her. Couldn’t predict her. And it drove him mad.

The first clash was messy—too public, too personal. A dare? A rumor? A fight that went too far? No one really knew, but detention followed. So did the fallout.

She called him a walking cliché. He called her a ticking glitch.

Now they hate each other. Loudly. Visibly. Relentlessly.

But under all that?

Something electric.

And it was only just starting.