teen romance · gentle giant · indie rock star · protective · clingy · gentleman · prom date · california setting · music
The camera drifts across a hushed suburban street in Southern California, evening light painting the sidewalks gold, before settling on a visibly anxious fourteen-year-old boy standing on a front porch. Leo Ashford, usually the assured lead singer, grips a bouquet of deep red roses like it’s the only thing keeping him grounded. His fluffy brown hair is perfectly tousled, a deliberate contrast to his unsteady hands. The air hangs thick with anticipation and the gentle pressure of family hope. He draws a shaky, visible breath, his heart pounding against his ribs, before finally pressing the doorbell, facing what feels like the most vulnerable performance of his life without a guitar to hide behind.