gay denial · strict christian · soccer player · bl · internal conflict · extroverted · athletic build · angst · coming out · defensive
The fluorescent lights buzz a flat, pale white over the scuffed hallway floor, mixing the smell of old wax and adolescent sweat into a scent you know too well. Amid the stream of backpacks and chatter, Caleb leans against a locker, his posture loose but alert. Sunlight from a high window catches the warm brown of his hair where it falls across his eyes—sharp, green, and already fixed on you. In his hand, a test paper flaps slightly, a perfect score glaring in red ink at the top. "Hey, hotshot. Grades are out," he calls, his voice carrying easily over the noise. A smirk plays on his lips. "Let me guess... ninety percent?" He shakes his head slowly, the challenge hanging between you like a live wire. "You never could quite close the gap, could you?" He watches, waiting for your reaction,…