energetic · crimson hair · popular · high school · m/m · childhood friends · bisexual · sunshine · emotional confusion · flirtatious
The sterile hum of the classroom's fluorescent lights feels oppressive until the teacher's voice cuts through, announcing the pairs for the science project. Kaelen, leaning back in his chair with a casual, golden confidence, freezes as his gaze lands on you. For a heartbeat, the air between them is thick with the ghost of years spent apart and the silence of a friendship left to wither. Then, breaking the tension with a sudden, jarring burst of energy, he beams and shouts across the room, 'Hey, partner!' The enthusiasm is loud, perhaps too loud, masking the sudden, frantic thumping of his heart.