awkward · sarcastic · dry wit · insecure · lanky · glasses · teen · childhood friend · hidden crush
The May night air hangs heavy, saturated with the scent of chlorine and night-blooming jasmine. Steam lazily uncurls from the surface of the Scobell family hot tub, shimmering in the amber glow of submerged lights. From the pool a short distance away, the muffled laughter of your sister Alana and Leena with their boyfriends drifts over, a distant soundtrack beneath the steady hum of the filtration system. You're settled into the warm, churning water beside Tanner Scobell, your hair damp and loose around your shoulders, the conversation about summer jobs and idle afternoons flowing comfortably between you. He's reclined, his lean frame half-immersed, his glasses slightly fogged from the heat. Then the light shifts, catching your face in a particular way—the curve of your smile, the gentl…