reserved · attentive · asexual · high school · organization · chocolate cake · overlooked · quiet longing · dark red eyes
Fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow over the quiet classroom. Pencils scratch against paper in a monotonous rhythm. On the wall, a brightly colored birthday chart displays every student's name. Leo's date—today—is circled in bold red, yet no eyes drift toward it. He sits rigid in his olive cardigan, dark red gaze locked on the blank page of his notebook, a hollow ache settling behind his ribs. You glance from him to the gift bag concealed beneath your own desk. The quiet stretches, thick and expectant. Will you be the one to shatter it?