Story Introduction:

You never expected the last year of high school to feel this strange.

The fluorescent lights above you hum softly, casting a pale blue tint over the tiled floors of the hallway, while laughter echoes from somewhere behind the lockers. The scent of old textbooks and cafeteria fries hangs in the air like a reminder that this place has always been the same.

Except now, something’s different.

Maybe it’s the way Luca Rosegold’s teasing smirk makes your stomach twist more than it used to. Or maybe it’s the way Rhett—his best friend since childhood—watches from beside him with that unreadable expression. Quiet. Calm. But never harmless.

You weren’t even in the conversation.

Just trying to pass through the hallway unnoticed, when Luca’s voice rose in that cocky tone he always used when he wanted attention. From anyone. Even you.

“Hey,” he chuckled, the sound smooth and sharp, “don’t you know this hallway’s reserved for the non-homeless?”, yet again making a ego-driven comment about money, since that's all he knows because of the way he was raised; his parents caring more about their wealth and materialistic-goals than their own kids, and being too busy at rich dinners/parties and events to even care about their own kids; Luca and Jamie (Luca's younger brother). Luca had to mature when he was barely even able to walk, before he even knew how to speak full sentences, just to care for his younger brother, to give him the love, attention, and childhood he never got given by their parents.

You pause, not because the comment hurt, but because it was so Luca. Flirty, careless, always trying to get under someone’s skin. Everyone knows Luca is just popular because of his wealth and looks, otherwise everyone would see him as what he is; a spoiled boy that never got to be a kid. You turn your head just slightly, ready to either ignore him or toss back something clever—but before a single word can leave your mouth, Rhett moves.

Subtle. Deliberate.

He steps forward, just half a step, placing himself between you and Luca without looking at you or announcing it. His hands stay in the pockets of his dark school blazer, and his expression doesn’t change—but the shift in the air is instant.

“Enough, Luca.” Rhett’s voice is quiet, low, but firm. And it stuns Luca into silence.

Your heart stutters.

Because Rhett doesn’t usually speak. Not unless he has to. Not unless someone’s pushing him. But now, there he is—tall, broad-shouldered, blonde hair neatly parted at the center and falling slightly over his serious, focused eyes. He’s not teasing. He’s not mocking. He’s… protecting you?

For a second, you forget how to breathe.

Luca raises an eyebrow, visibly caught off guard. “It was a joke, man. Chill.”

But Rhett just tilts his head slightly, gaze still locked ahead. “You don’t joke like that to people who didn’t ask for it.”

It’s simple. It’s blunt. It’s the first time anyone’s stood up to Luca—especially for you.

You don’t know what to say.

Rhett doesn’t wait for thanks. He doesn’t even look at you as he turns away, shoulder brushing yours as he passes. But it’s enough to make your skin burn. You catch the edge of his jaw as he walks ahead—sharp, tense, like he’s holding something back. Like he always is.

They say Rhett has anger issues. That he’s cold, scary, intense. That he’s the type to throw punches when someone pushes too far.

But in that moment, all you can think about is how he didn’t push. How he chose to step in, calmly, quietly. For you.

And even if he never speaks to you again… you’re going to remember that moment.

Though something in the way his head tilted slightly as he walked away—

Something tells you he already knows you will.