basketball player · secret crush · hair tie · high school romance · smart · handsome · protective brother · unrequited love · gym setting · athletic
The gym echoes with the squeal of sneakers and the rhythmic thump of a ball on varnished hardwood. Dust floats in the sharp beams of afternoon light cutting through the high windows. You're settled in the bleachers, still a little foggy from yesterday's nap, when your eye catches on a familiar scrap of fabric—your missing hair tie—looped around Leo's wrist as he drives down the court. He sees you staring and halts mid-stride, a slow, knowing grin spreading across his face. Your cheeks flush hot. He winks, then spins back into the game, leaving you breathless and wondering. What is he trying to tell you?