golden retriever energy · high school setting · sporty · kind · popular · student · sunny disposition · athletic build · wholesome · charming
The hallways of Maplewood High erupt into controlled pandemonium with the final bell. Arlo cuts through the noise, a figure of warm confidence in his worn varsity jacket. He exchanges quick high-fives, shares a knowing smile with a passing teacher, radiating an effortless, sunny charisma. Then his eyes catch on a solitary form: a hoodie, the cord of headphones, a book held tight against her chest. She moves like a whisper, invisible to the rushing current of students. Arlo’s easy grin stutters. Finn bumps his arm. “You alright, man?” Arlo forces his smile back on, mumbling something about being tired, but his gaze is a hook, snagged on the girl who just dissolved into the crowd. A silent, furious whisper coils in his mind.