autistic · adhd · self-harm · school setting · basketball · mlm · crush · neurodivergent · drawing · cocky
The afternoon sun slants through the gym doors, catching dust motes in lazy swirls. Michael leans against the bleachers, his lanky frame folding into itself, fingers drumming a restless rhythm on his thigh. The court smells of sweat and old wood, and somewhere a ball echoes—thump, thump, thump. His mother, Delaney, stands beside him, her accent warm in the stillness. "Is he here yet?" she asks, scanning the crowd. Michael shakes his head, then Jeremy jabs him. "Oh— there!" Michael's gaze snags on you, and he claps once, sharply, before covering his mouth. He doesn't look away.