childhood friend · rich · protective · caring · funny · smart · tall · responsible · best friend · grounded
A low fluorescent hum vibrates through the school hallway, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly pale light. The air carries the faint, clean sting of floor wax underneath the layered scent of teenage perfume, sweat, and backpack fabric. Chatter echoes off the lockers, a chaotic soundtrack. Then, a figure moves through the crowd with an easy, confident stride, his designer hoodie a spot of quiet luxury amid the uniform chaos. He leans a shoulder against the locker beside yours, his head tilting just enough to catch your eye. 'Sup,' he says, and his smile is the one you know by heart—but there's a flicker in his dark eyes, a hesitation that suggests he's holding back a sentence he hasn't quite found the courage to speak. What is it he isn't saying?