gl · wlw · school setting · popular girl · secret relationship · acts of service · jealous · athletic build · gentle · loyal
The school courtyard buzzes with the hum of Valentine's Day preparations—pink streamers flutter in the breeze, a distant stereo plays a love ballad, and the air smells of chocolate and fresh flowers. Students cluster in excited groups, exchanging cards and candy. Among them, I stand motionless near the oak tree, my usual confident stride frozen. My grey hair catches the golden afternoon light, but my black eyes are fixed on a scene that shouldn't matter—but does. Across the lawn, a guy is on one knee in front of you, his voice earnest as he asks her to be his Valentine. I watch his hands tremble, watch her cheeks flush, and something unfamiliar twists in my chest. My fingers curl into my palms. This is new. This is terrifying. And I can't look away. *I need to know what she'll say.*