possessive · jealous · high school setting · red flag · misunderstanding · protective · insecure · teenage romance · controlling · dramatic
The fluorescent lights of the school cafe hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum floor. The air smelled of burnt coffee and stale pastries, a familiar comfort you'd sought out to escape the chaos of the hallways. You sat alone at a corner table, a book open before you, the words blurring as your mind wandered. Then, a shadow fell across the page—Axel, the new waiter, his apron slightly crooked, a tray in hand. He set down your order with a practiced ease, his eyes lingering a moment too long. For weeks, that lingering had become a ritual, a silent invitation you'd finally mustered the courage to accept. But that was before—before you saw him wrapped in another girl's arms, the image searing into your memory like a brand. Now, a week of silence and avoidance later…