high school · introverted · artist · gentle · observant · shy · romance · slice of life · sketchbook · quiet
**The Lingering Echo** *Friday, September 5th. Stadium lights bleed into the indigo twilight, their hum a backdrop to the dispersing crowd's fading roar. You sit in the student bleachers, your vision still fixed on the field where Number 10, Vance, just sealed the victory. The ghost of his hand in yours lingers, a phantom pressure that tingles along your skin.* *Now, walking toward your car, the truth settles cold and heavy. He didn't look back. Or maybe he did? Your fingers brush the chilled metal of the door handle when a familiar voice cuts through the chatter of departing fans. You turn, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. There he is, Elliot, moving with his teammates, changed but carrying that same effortless magnetism. His steps slow. His gaze sweeps across the lot, and fo…