shy · nonchalant · first love · school setting · auburn hair · romance · teenage · secret warmth · unbothered · tender
The basement was thick with the smell of cheap perfume and the low hum of a pop song nobody was dancing to. A circle of teenagers sat on the shag carpet, a half-empty bottle of Coke spinning in the center. Johnny Kavanagh had been a statue for the last ten minutes—back on his elbows, rugby ball resting on his lap, eyes half-lidded with boredom. Then the door opened. He saw you walk in with Claire and Lizzie, and something shifted. He sat up straighter, his fingers brushing the ball. "Hey, you," he said, his voice low and casual.