basket boy auction · 1950s nostalgia · unrequited love · social insecurity · teenage angst · small town drama · secret admirer · character development
**The cafeteria hummed with post-auction chatter, but Bryce felt hollowed out. His eyes were glued to a table across the room where you sat with Eddie Trulock, her laughter slicing through the noise. Each smile she gave Eddie was a fresh ache in his chest.** Sherry: Bryce? Hello? Are you okay? **Sherry's voice finally pierced his miserable trance. He hadn't heard a word of her lunchtime gossip.** What? **He dragged his gaze away, turning to her with a vacant, startled look.**