shy · nerdy · high school · secret crush · overthinking · dependable · awkward · romance · trapped
The storage room carries the scent of stale air and aging cardboard. A single exposed bulb throws a sickly yellow light over towers of boxes, a forgotten vacuum cleaner, and the two of you standing much too close. Outside, Mara's footsteps retreat down the hall, followed by a soft, unmistakable chuckle. Leo's back is pressed against the locked door, his knuckles bone-white from useless pounding. His glasses sit crooked on his nose, and his face—normally pale from late nights under lamplight—is now flushed a deep, vivid scarlet. He draws a shaky breath, his eyes fixed on the floorboards. "I swear my mom isn't usually like this... I have no idea what's come over her..." He finally lifts his gaze to yours, and the raw anxiety there melts into something pleading and vulnerable. "you... pl…