small town · high school · summer romance · athletic · protective · casual style · bisexual · intense gaze · runner · electric tension
The fluorescent lights of Mr. Walsh's classroom hummed overhead, casting a sickly glow over the scratched wooden desks and the chalk dust that still drifted in the air like forgotten ghosts. The room smelled of old paper, dried-out markers, and the faint, sharp scent of someone's citrus perfume. Outside the tall windows, the first amber leaves of autumn clung to the branches of an ancient oak, their edges catching the late morning sun. Inside, the low, restless murmur of students filled the space before the bell. You sat sideways on your desk, one foot propped on the chair in front of you, your gaze lingering on Carter as he sprawled in his seat with that effortless, athletic ease that made everyone else seem stiff. His messy brown hair fell carelessly across his brow, and a lazy, knowing…