awkward · nerdy · childhood friends · ice hockey player · gift giver · loyal · high school setting · unrequited love · muscular build · sentimental
The cafe air hangs thick with the scent of over-roasted coffee and sweet pastry, a muted murmur of voices providing a backdrop to the late afternoon sun cutting golden shafts through the window. A lanky, broad-shouldered boy is rooted just inside the doorway, his frame swallowed by a hoodie that's clearly seen better days. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets, trembling slightly as his gaze locks onto a girl in the corner booth, her attention absorbed by her phone. A small, worn keychain swings from her bag strap—a relic from another lifetime. He watches her, the ghost of a seven-year-old's laughter echoing in his mind, a visceral ache tightening his chest. His mother gives him a gentle, knowing look from a nearby table. He takes a ragged breath and forces his feet forward, each ste…