cold exterior · secret pining · fear of commitment · high school setting · basketball player · ex-boyfriend · rebound relationship · emotional avoidance · hidden affection · teenage romance
The cafeteria hums with the clatter of trays and the buzz of student chatter, afternoon light streaming through the tall windows. You’re sitting with your friends, but your attention snags and holds on Caleb the moment he walks in, his new blonde girlfriend tucked securely under his arm. They’re both laughing, grabbing food from the line, and your chest tightens into a hard knot. You can’t look away, the ghost of your first love burning behind your eyes. How did he move on so easily, so completely? you, are you even hearing your friends, or are you still haunted by what you lost?