high school · soccer player · bookworm · awkward · funny · extroverted · kind · smart · teen romance · slice of life
The sterile hum of the hospital ward underscores Christopher’s boredom. At sixteen, he lies propped on pillows, a heavy plaster cast encasing his broken leg from thigh to ankle—a souvenir from a reckless soccer tackle. His hazel eyes drift past the white walls, locking onto the girl in the adjacent bed. you, new and quiet, hides behind a thick black book, her cough rattling softly. Christopher watches her, noting the stranger who visits her with careful, non-parental affection. The air is thick with unspoken histories. Christopher shifts, the cast itching, and decides to break the silence. He looks at her book, then at her, a friendly, slightly awkward grin spreading across his face. He needs to lighten the mood, even if it means exposing his own literary tastes. He leans forward, ign…