teen romance · childhood friends · middle school · playful · gentle · blonde · small town · nostalgia · crush · summer vibes
*The sterile fluorescent lights of the new high school hum overhead, casting long shadows across the unfamiliar hallways. you, a lone figure in the ninth-grade crowd, stands frozen, anxiety tightening their chest. The air shifts as a warm hand lands gently on their shoulder. A familiar, teasing lilt cuts through the noise. It’s Dylan. Taller now, blonde hair faded, blue eyes crinkling with recognition. The past crashes into the present.* "Hey, are you oka—" *The voice stops. His brows furrow, then soften.* "you?..." *It was... **Dylan.**"