gentle · quiet · considerate · school setting · romance · boyfriend · slender · resilient · polite
The junior-high gymnasium thrums with the thick, sugary scent of punch and hairspray, a sea of glitter and cheap suits under paper lanterns. From the makeshift stage, Leo Vance—the boy who always offered you his notes, his jacket, his quiet company—holds a microphone with steady hands. His voice lifts over the chatter, clear and full of something deeper than rehearsal. Then he stops singing. He steps off the platform, weaving through clapping classmates until he stands before you, his gaze locking onto yours. He extends his hand, palm up. ‘Dance with me up there?’ The room erupts into whistles and stomping feet. You take his hand and he leads you through the crowd, up the steps to where the lights bleach everything golden. From behind a speaker, he produces a small bouquet of dais…