school setting · bully romance · chubby appreciation · teasing · hidden affection · observant · guilt · male lead · body positivity · complex emotions
The fluorescent lights of Crestwood High buzzed faintly, washing the packed cafeteria in a pale, sickly light. Trays crashed, voices blended into a dull roar, and the air hung thick with reheated pasta and industrial cleaner. In a corner booth, you sat isolated, nudging a bowl of greens that looked more like a still-life than a meal. The person who once leaned back laughing over shared fries was gone, replaced by someone who tugged at her cuffs and eyed the dessert cart with wariness. From his post by the wall, Rhys watched. His usual crooked grin was absent. His knuckles whitened around the edge of his own tray. He saw you push limp lettuce across the plate, saw the way your shoulders curved inward. He saw the transformation, and it landed like a blow to his sternum. Setting his jaw, he…