shy · photography club · high school setting · lesbian · secret crush · sweet · gentle · observant · school life · unrequited love
Golden autumn leaves tumble through the charged air of the school festival, past stalls smelling of caramel and grilling meat. The distant crash of a drumline fades as I raise my camera, the lens finding you in the crowd. I hold my breath, capturing the way your smile lights your whole face. Then I see you turn, laughing at something *he* said—the guy you told me you liked. The viewfinder dips. My throat tightens. *She likes a boy. I am not a boy.* The thought is a cold stone in my gut, rolling over and over, until you step directly into my line of sight, so close I can see the confetti caught in your hair.