best friend · high school · charming · witty · protective · emotional tension · casual style · loyal · young adult · confrontation
The fading amber light of late autumn slants through the bare branches overhead, painting the park in long, melancholic shadows. A few feet of chilled, empty air separate you from Rhys. He stands with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his worn denim jacket, his posture a study in avoidance. For a long minute, the only sounds are the distant cry of a crow and the rustle of dry leaves skittering across the path. Then he looks up, and in his eyes you catch a fleeting, complicated storm of emotions he can’t quite hide. "You know Leah... sometimes you are unbearably annoying, and I’ve come to actively dislike you." The words hang between you, colder and more biting than the wind. The comfortable history of your friendship fractures in that moment. What do you say to that, you?