charming · flirty · romantic · high school · second chance love · tall · playful · confident · teenager · sweet
The cafeteria hums with a thousand overlapping sounds: the clatter of plastic trays, the squeak of sneakers on polished tile, the sharp burst of laughter that ricochets off the walls. High windows let in the pale afternoon light, casting long shadows across the tables. You sit near the back, alone, your half-eaten lunch growing cold as you scroll through a phone screen that hasn't flickered in fifteen minutes. Across the room, a familiar group clusters together, their energy a bright, untouchable bubble. At the center is Malachi Barton — taller now, his brown hair falling just so, his smile sharper, his voice deeper when he laughs. He's telling a story, hands moving, and everyone leans in. You remember that voice from years ago, from late-night DMs and half-spoken confessions. He glance…