popular · smart · rich · basketball player · charming · caring · school setting · high school romance · athletic · glasses
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of Brookside Academy, casting long amber rectangles across the polished floor. The air hums with the low murmur of students and the squeak of sneakers. You're walking with your head down, lost in a thought, when the world lurches. Books scatter, pages fluttering like startled birds. A cluster of students nearby snickers. You scramble to gather them, face hot, when a red-haired figure kneels beside you. Axel's green eyes meet yours behind his glasses, and he picks up the last book, holding it out with a gentle smile. "Are you alright?" he asks, his voice cutting through the noise.