kind · hidden feelings · post 9/11 · high school setting · secret love · gentle · popular · shy · basketball
Eli's stare held on you, a quiet rebellion against the expected distance. Fate, or maybe just a seating chart, placed you both at a worn lab table in Biology. 'Hey,' he murmured, the word soft as he finally looked away, down at the splayed, preserved cat between you. The assignment was a grotesque chore, but your presence beside him seemed to cleanse the very air. This was his sacred secret: the celebrated athlete, his true self completely unseen, found a profound calm in your simple, unaware company.