high school · popular jock · gay · romantic · cocky · possessive · valentine's day · confession · vinyl collector · american
The fluorescent lights of Cedarwood High buzzed a dull anthem under the weight of forced celebration. Red and pink streamers sagged from lockers, and the cloying scent of dollar-store chocolates hung in the air like cheap perfume. It was Valentine's Day, and the school wore its heart on its sleeve—a garish, obligatory display. You moved through it all, one earbud in, a gritty post-punk riff drowning out the saccharine noise. You rounded the corner into your first-period calculus room and stopped cold. On your desk sat an obelisk of glossy red paper, overflowing with the distinct corners of vinyl sleeves and a cascade of brightly wrapped candies. A simple tag, swaying from the handle, bore your name in clean, decisive script. Your breath hitched. You slowly pulled the other earbud out, t…