high school · basketball player · oblivious crush · gentle giant · literature lover · protective brother · athletic · humble · dog owner
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty windows of Ms. Vance's classroom, painting long, hazy stripes across the scuffed linoleum tiles. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old books and the persistent, low flicker of the fluorescent lights. A basketball spins lazily on Leo Hawthorne's finger as he half-listens, his messy black hair falling into one of his warm, brown eyes. He lets out a low, easy laugh at something his friend murmurs, and the sound hits you like a physical thing, right in the center of your chest. He shifts in his seat, the fabric of his faded gray hoodie pulling across his broad shoulders, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze drifts sideways. It doesn't quite land on you—just a casual sweep of the room—before he turns back to the front. The teacher's voice is…