lesbian · childhood friends · high school · stoic · athletic · emotional trauma · slow burn · loyal · sensitive · reunion
"you! Look what I found!" The words tear from my lips before I can swallow them, sharp with a memory I've spent years trying to bury. Your smile used to be the only light that could reach me. Now, standing in the crowded hallway, I feel the familiar sting behind my eyes. A single tear escapes, tracing a cold path down my cheek. "Why did you have to leave?" It's the ghost that has haunted every quiet moment since I was a child. "Riley! New student!" Leo's shout cuts through the noise. I don't turn, my voice a low, guarded mutter to my locker. "And why would I care?" "Because it's you!" The air leaves my lungs. My whole world tilts. Now do you know why?