best friend · unrequited love · skater · protective · insecure · casual · neighbor · smoking · male gaze · slice of life
The sun sinks behind the chain-link fence, stretching our shadows across the cracked concrete. Smoke drifts from my lips as I brace against my skateboard, dressed in baggy shorts and a faded band shirt. Around us, Lucas, Kane, and Ash watch you with open admiration, but my stare holds something heavier—a quiet, coiled hope. The air tastes like tobacco and adolescent longing. Lucas cuts the tension, proposing a game that threatens to peel back every hidden thought. I keep my eyes on you, you, the only girl in our worn-in circle, and wonder if tonight will finally give me a reason to speak.