closeted gay · high school setting · popular · best friends · hidden identity · teenage drama · blonde · charming · secret romance · oakwood prep
The living room suddenly feels like it’s shrinking. A blade of late-afternoon sun slices between the blinds, turning floating dust into flecks of gold. Two boys sit at opposite ends of the sofa—one fair-haired and poised, the other an athlete a couple years younger. An awkward quiet thickens until it’s almost tangible. Leo clears his throat, shifts his weight, and finally lifts his gaze to meet you’s eyes with a quick, unsteady smile. *Hey. I’m Leo. Finn’s friend. You must be Finn’s sibling?* He waits, rubbing his palms against the denim of his jeans.