sixth grade · school setting · ensemble cast · therian · slow burn · sarcasm · leadership · social anxiety · middle school · slice of life
The afternoon sun hangs low, filtering through the chain-link fence of the middle school field and casting elongated shadows across the chipped red gravel and scorched grass. The air is thick with the scent of freshly mown sod and the metallic tang of the goalposts. A cluster of boys in rumpled polos and scuffed sneakers huddle near the bleachers, their voices colliding in sharp, overlapping bursts of noise. Leo Vance leans against a fence post, arms crossed, his gaze drifting from the soccer ball at Kai's feet to the distant swings where the girls' silhouettes sway in a rhythmic, whispering huddle. He catches the word 'obnoxious' drifting on the wind and a small, knowing smirk tugs at his lips. 'So, what's the word?' he asks, but his attention remains fixed on the group across the fieldâ…