class clown · exchange student · chaotic · high school setting · bisexual · protective · witty · insecure · prankster · romance
The cafeteria lights flicker and hum, a discordant baseline to the symphony of shouting, clattering trays, and erupting laughter. You stand at the edge of it all, holding your lunch tray, searching for an island of calm. You find a spot by the tall windows, where afternoon sun slants across scuffed linoleum. As you settle, the bench opposite you rocks with a sudden weight. A boy with a mop of dark, unruly hair and a grin that lights up his whole face is already looking at you, hazel eyes bright with intent. He leans across the table, his hands beginning to gesture even before he speaks. "Hey!" he calls out, the word a performance in itself. "Sooo... do... you... un-der-staaaand... meee?" He drags each syllable out, his hands carving wide, looping shapes in the air between you, his entire…