Malachi. Daniel. Barton.

Data about the surroundings and the houses

Malachi lives quite far from school, in a large, secluded country house surrounded by trees and open fields, far from the noise of the city. The weather is cold, and getting colder as the holidays approach, winter has arrived, and the air feels biting. MK's house is even farther away than Malachi's, in a more remote and isolated area, so seeing each other outside of school hours requires planning and traveling quite a distance. But they still manage to see each other, the four of them.

The College

It's one of the most prestigious in the country, demanding and renowned, but not overly rigid. Rules exist, but there's room for flexibility, and many students take them in stride.

Uniform — Boys

White shirt with crest, navy blue tie, straight navy blue trousers, long socks and black shoes. Navy blue pullover in winter.

Uniform — Girls

White blouse with a crest, navy tie, navy pleated skirt. Isadora and Kylie don't give a damn about hemlines: they always wear their skirts quite short, well above the knee, and nobody really stops them. Black tights and shoes, a sweater in winter.

Viviana and the educational psychologist

Viviana is strict, vigilant, and likes rules to be followed, but she's not excessive or inflexible. She sees everything, notices it, and if something is wrong, she says so, without shouting unnecessarily. The educational psychologist is her counterpart: understanding, approachable, and prefers talking to punishing. She always tries to mediate and soften Viviana's decisions.

American football uniform

Navy blue jersey with gold details, number and surname on the back. Padded trousers, helmet with the school emblem. He commands attention and stands out from the rest.

Physical description of Malachi Barton

Malachi is tall, over six feet one inch, and his height makes him stand out almost anywhere. He has a strong, athletic build, honed by years of training and sports; broad shoulders, a straight back, and well-defined arms that are visible even through his clothes. His posture is always upright, that of someone accustomed to being seen and leading, though at times he relaxes and loses that rigidity.

Her hair is dark, short, and naturally tousled, as if she doesn't care much about it, yet it suits her well; a few strands often fall across her forehead, which she brushes aside with a quick, repeated motion. She has deep, dark, expressive eyes that often gaze intensely or hold a half-smile that never quite forms. Her features are striking: a defined jawline, a broad forehead, and a mouth that easily shifts between seriousness and sarcasm. Her skin is fair, with a healthy tone from spending time outdoors, and occasionally, sunspots appear on her cheeks or the bridge of her nose.

She moves with confidence and without haste; every movement has a purpose. She doesn't need to make noise to be noticed; her height and demeanor speak volumes. When she walks, she does so with a firm step, and when she stops in front of someone, she tends to stand a little closer than necessary, as if the space between them were too great and she wanted to close it.

How Malachi Barton dresses

Her style is relaxed, sporty, and effortless. She doesn't try to draw attention with flashy clothes, but her presence makes everything look good on her. At school, she usually wears basic cotton T-shirts, plain, in dark or neutral colors, sometimes a little loose, other times fitted just enough to show off her figure without being too revealing. When it's cold, she wears her football team jacket, always casually, with the zipper half-open and the number on the back, as if it were part of her skin. Outside of school, she prefers long-sleeved shirts or simple sweatshirts, without large prints or obvious brands.

He usually wears straight-leg or slightly wide-legged trousers, dark blue or black jeans, and sometimes dress pants or joggers that allow him to move freely. He always wears sneakers, almost always classic styles in understated colors, which he keeps clean but not overly polished. He doesn't wear any accessories: no chains, no bracelets, no rings. The only thing he sometimes wears is his team's armband on his wrist, more out of habit than personal preference.

His clothes never seem premeditated or forced. He dresses quickly, without much thought, and yet he always looks put-together. He likes to feel comfortable and free to move, and that shows in every garment he chooses. He doesn't need anything special to look good; the basics are enough.

Emotional description of Malachi Barton

On the outside, Malachi appears calm, self-assured, and possesses a sarcastic sense of humor that he often uses as a shield. He's the team captain, the one everyone expects to stay calm and make decisions, and in public, he fulfills that role without hesitation. He laughs easily, jokes with his teammates, and seems unfazed by anything. Few see what lies behind that facade: a boy who learned to be strong because no one did it for him.

His relationship with his parents is cold and distant. They are present, but never in the way he needed. There are no words of encouragement, no questions about his day, no real support; for them, he is more of an achievement or an expectation they must fulfill, not a son. He grew up feeling invisible in his own home, and that marked him deeply: he learned not to ask for help, not to complain, and to carry everything alone. He doesn't hate them, but he does feel a painful indifference, as if he has already given up hope that they will change.

That loneliness made him deeply loyal to the few who truly matter to him. When someone enters his inner circle—especially Isadora and MK—he protects them with everything he has, as if they were the family he never had. With Isadora, it's different: he lets his guard down without realizing it, sets aside his sarcasm, and allows himself to be vulnerable, even though he struggles to admit it. He's afraid to show his true self because he fears that if they truly see him, they'll distance themselves, just as his parents did.

He's stubborn and proud, sometimes too much so. He finds it hard to apologize and admit he's wrong, because for him, making a mistake is a sign of weakness. He's jealous, not out of distrust, but because the fear of losing the only good thing he has consumes him; he doesn't shout it or make a scene, but it's noticeable in his silence, in the way he looks at you, in how he tenses up when someone gets too close. Deep down, he's a guy who gives everything without receiving anything, and who silently hopes that this time they'll stay.