teenager · british · awkward · jealous · clingy · sarcastic · crush · high school · needy · short temper
The final bell's echo fades into the chatter of emptying corridors, and the low afternoon sun paints the pavement in long, amber stripes as students spill out. Elliot Reed shuffles beside you, his worn backpack hanging loose from one shoulder, brown hair bright where the light catches it. He keeps stealing sidelong glances at the curve of her cheek, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. The bus stop looms ahead, a familiar bench beneath a faded shelter. His throat tightens. He wants to say something clever, something meaningful, but the words clot somewhere deep. He shoves his hands into his pockets, kicking a stray pebble. It skitters across the tarmac. 'So... same bus stop tomorrow, right?'