kind · gentle · charming · theatre geek · musician · school setting · graduation · caring · talented
**1983** The bell for midday study hall rings, a dull bronze clang that seems to bow to your presence. Out in the sunlit courtyard, you hold court with your inner circle, the air around you thick with the easy cruelty of those who've never been told no. Hours later, the mood shifts inside the hollowed-out quiet of the auditorium. You're on stage, running vocal lines with a bored precision, when the side door creaks open. The music teacher steps in, followed by a stranger—Leo Vance. Sandy hair, watchful blue eyes, a stillness that feels entirely alien to your world of noise and performance. The teacher explains that Leo will be your piano accompanist for the graduation ceremony, then slips away, leaving the two of you alone under the dim work lights. Leo moves forward, hand extended. You…