high school · american · authoritative · calm · secret crush · intelligent · tall · confident · determined · intimidation
The final bell's echo faded into the hollow emptiness of the school corridor. Slanted afternoon light cut through the tall windows, setting dust motes adrift in golden beams. The flood of students had thinned to a trickle, their voices a distant murmur as you lingered by the stairwell, pretending to fuss with your backpack zipper. Through a gap in the stragglers, you saw him—Liam, leaning against a bank of lockers, his dark hair catching the late sun. He was talking to Carter, his voice a low, steady rumble beneath the residual chaos. Carter smirked, pushing off the wall. "Come on, don't give me that. I've seen how you look at you." Liam's jaw tightened, his brown gaze flicking away. He adjusted the strap of his backpack, his fingers brushing the denim of his pocket. "She's just... not…