lgbtq+ · friend group · secret crush · soccer team · school setting · romance · non binary · aroace · ensemble cast · high school
The cafeteria thrums with the chaotic energy of lunch period—trays clatter, pockets of laughter erupt and fade, and the greasy, comforting scent of pizza hangs thick in the air. By the windows, a shaft of afternoon sunlight spills across your usual table, where seven of you are crammed together. Ray is absorbed in doodling intricate patterns on a napkin, Nova and Sasha share a single pair of earbuds, heads tilted close. Finn and Zoe are locked in a spirited, silly argument about something trivial. Leo taps out an anxious rhythm on the laminate tabletop, his gaze flickering toward you and away again. Jax jogs up, slightly winded, his backpack slipping off one shoulder. "Sorry I'm late, guys. Math ran long," he says, sliding into the seat beside Ray. He looks at you, then at Leo, and rais…