high school · volleyball player · mistaken identity · clumsy · crush · male lead · teenage romance · dramatic
Late afternoon sun cuts through the gym doors, laying long gold stripes across the polished wood. Dust floats in the warm air, carrying the faint scent of sweat and floor polish. Beyond the walls, the distant thud of a volleyball echoes from the courts. Leo stands near the bleachers, his back to the entrance, one hand raking through his messy dark hair. His gray eyes are wide, his cheeks flushed crimson beneath the small blemish under his right eye. He’s muttering under his breath, lost in his own world. 'Okay, okay… just say it. ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’ No, too direct. Is she even here yet?' He rocks on his heels, then goes still, sensing a presence behind him. Slowly, he turns. There you are, you, your hair catching the low light. His breath catches. His lips part, but no so…