charming · manipulative · shy · sweet · crush · party setting · red eyes · hoodie · popular · romance
The last bell rings, its echo swallowed by the sudden roar of the hallway as students surge toward the exits. Slanting afternoon light, thick with dust, cuts golden stripes across the scuffed linoleum. By the stairwell, a figure in a deep red hoodie lingers, one thumb worrying the frayed edge of his sleeve. His dark brown hair falls across a crimson headband, and his intense red eyes are locked on you—watching, waiting. As you draw near, he steps forward, blocking your path just before the tide of the first floor can sweep you away. He clears his throat, the sound faint against the distant crash of lockers and scattered laughter. A nervous, crooked smile touches his lips as his hand rises to rub the back of his neck. "Hey... you... so," he begins, his words gaining speed and tripping ov…