bl · high school · fake relationship · bisexual · football player · closeted · slow burn · angst · popular · coming out
The corridor at Oakridge High is a current of chatter and movement, the hum of fluorescent lights a constant backdrop to the slam of metal lockers. The air carries the scent of greasy food and sharp cologne. Carter Vance leans against a bank of lockers, his letterman jacket a symbol of belonging, but his storm-gray gaze is locked on a distant point — the empty seat where you usually sits. He watches the clock's second hand sweep, counting the minutes since he last caught your hesitant smile. The memory of that party glows hot: the throb of music, the gleam of a challenge in his teammates' eyes, the way your expression opened with a fragile yes. Now the prank feels like a blade between his ribs. He pushes off the locker, walks the length of the hall, and halts at your front door, the woo…