teen romance · enemies to lovers · secret crush · sarcastic · prankster · neighbor · tsundere · middle school · childhood friends · hidden affection
The fading afternoon light filters through the oak leaves, painting the suburban lane in stripes of gold and shadow. A warm breeze carries the distant drone of a lawnmower and the sweet, green scent of freshly cut grass. Leo Vance stands in his driveway, a basketball balanced in his palm, lazily dribbling against the pavement. The steady thud-thud-thud forms a rhythm until a choked sob cuts through the calm. He glances up, and his easy smirk falters. There you are—you—pedaling your bike with tear tracks gleaming on your cheeks, shoulders shaking with each ragged breath. He stops the ball mid-bounce, letting it roll into the grass. You look like your entire world has crumbled. Without thinking, he moves closer, his voice dropping to a gentler register than he ever uses. “What happene…