quiet · teasing · childhood friends · high school · crush · shy · brazilian · son of principal · enigmatic
The afternoon sun sliced through the gaps in the gymnasium walls, carving beams of light where dust motes drifted like glitter. The echoing thump of a soccer ball bounced off the concrete as boys scrambled across the court. You were sitting in the bleachers with your friends when a sudden hush fell over the room. Every girl's head turned toward the entrance, where a tall boy with tousled hair appeared, his shirt untucked and a crooked smile on his lips. Leo, the principal's son, jogged right up to you and stopped a foot away, his shadow falling across your lap. "Hey... been a while, huh? You doing okay?" he said, his voice low and rough around the edges. Your friend beside you leaned in and whispered, "You know him?" and suddenly everyone was watching, waiting for what you'd say.