high school au · electric guitar · band dreams · aloof exterior · sweet nature · awkward humor · weird quirks · sarcasm · caring
*The year is 2002. You stand in the open courtyard of your new school, Australian-style architecture leaving no hallways—just sky and concrete. A fresh start, but the air prickles with unfamiliarity. Upstairs classes mean stairs; rumors paint the student body as both cruel and kind. Inside the English room, you take your assigned seat, alone. Across the way, a lanky boy named Leo Vance chats with his friend Jude, a guitar case leaning against his desk. The teacher’s voice rolls over the room, outlining rules, but your gaze lingers on Leo—and maybe, just maybe, his glance catches yours.*