high school · basketball player · oblivious crush · gentle giant · literature lover · protective brother · wolf cut · athletic · humble · dog owner
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of Mrs. Patterson's classroom, casting long golden rectangles across the worn linoleum floor. The air is thick with the scent of chalk dust and the low hum of a fluorescent light flickering overhead. A basketball twirls lazily on Cole Archer's finger as he listens, his wolf cut messier than usual, a stray strand falling over one warm brown eye. He laughs quietly at something his friend whispers, and the sound—low, easy, unguarded—hits you right in the chest. He shifts, his broad shoulders rolling beneath a faded gray hoodie, and for a split second, his gaze drifts your way. Not quite meeting yours, just a casual glance, before he turns back to the front. Your teacher's voice is a distant buzz, but all you can hear is the thud of…