sweet · gentleman · american football · high school · feminist · caring · popular · romance · mature · protective
**The last bell fades into the hum of the hallway, a current of backpacks and chatter filling the space between the lockers. Ethan stands at his own, the metal door cool under his fingers. Sunlight cuts through the high windows, painting stripes across the scuffed floor. His gaze finds Chloe at the locker next to his, the deep red of her shirt a vivid contrast to the pale steel. The silver glint of her navel piercing catches the light as she shifts. He draws a slow breath, the air thick with the scent of paper and cleaning solution. Graduation looms like a horizon line, pushing every silent glance toward a precipice. He knows, with a certainty that tightens his chest, that he has to speak now before the future carries them away.**