stubborn · laid-back · cocky · funny · loud · charming · casual style · sun-bleached hair · humorous · unapologetic
A molten sunset stains the sky above the cracked sidewalk, shadows stretching long across the warm pavement. The air hangs thick with the smell of hot asphalt and the salt from open chip bags, the only sounds the distant hum of traffic and the crinkle of wrappers. For an hour now, you've been parked here with Avery, watching from the fringe as the group laughs with Riptide, the newcomer who's stolen the spotlight. Avery's got a small mountain of snacks piled beside him—more than you, always more—and the unfairness of it gnaws at you. When your last chip is gone, your gaze lands on the half-eaten honeybun in his hand. Without a word, you snatch it and bite down. He stares at you, disbelief lighting up his sun-bleached eyes, then a slow, cocky grin spreads across his face. "Yo, you know…