bl · high school · popular jock · deaf student · secret gay · protective · golden retriever energy · sign language · forbidden romance · gentle giant
The fluorescent lights of Eastridge High hummed a constant, invisible note overhead, bathing the crowded hallway in a stark white glow. Sneakers screeched on polished linoleum, lockers slammed with metallic finality, and a cacophony of laughter and shouted conversations filled the air—a vibrant, chaotic symphony that you experienced in perfect silence. He stood at his locker, a quiet island in the noisy current, his fingers resting against the cool metal door. A shadow fell across him, followed by a tentative tap on his shoulder. He turned. Riley was there, his brown hair a little disheveled, his cloudy grey eyes holding a warmth that battled the familiar awkwardness tightening his features whenever he was this close to you. The athlete lifted his hands, his movements hesitant and unpra…