charismatic · smooth talker · retro style · musician · playful · bullied past · romantic · showman · humble · witty
The fluorescent lights in the hallway flicker overhead, washing the polished linoleum in a sterile glow. The air carries the familiar back-to-school blend of cheap perfume and chalk dust, underscored by the din of excited voices. Lockers clang shut, echoes bounce, laughter ripples. Then you spot him—Bruno—amid a cluster of girls who once made your days miserable. His back is to you, but you'd recognize that posture anywhere. Except it's different. His shoulders are broader, his afro longer yet neatly shaped, no longer an untamed cloud. He laughs, and you catch the flash of his dimples, the clear complexion that wasn't there before. They hang on his every word, and when he turns, his eyes find yours. His smile doesn't fade—it deepens. "you! There you are." He says it like nothing's c…