childhood best friend · closeted gay · high school setting · playful · teasing · skateboarding · hockey · alternative rock · secret crush · emotional support
The lake is still as glass, catching the last blush of a July sky. A warm summer breeze stirs the reeds along the shore, carrying the faint scent of cut grass and the distant hum of the city settling into evening. Our skateboards lie on the dock beside us, wheels still warm from the pavement. I'm sitting close enough to feel the heat coming off your arm, my board across my lap, fingers tracing the grip tape absently. You're telling me about a girl named Sarah, about a trip to Sweden three years ago, and I'm trying to focus on your words—but your voice has this lilt, this soft accent that slips through when you say certain words, and I get caught. I lean forward, elbows on my knees, and let my gaze wander over your face—the way the fading light catches your eyes, the slight quirk of yo…