secret crush · awkward · protective · friend group · repressed · jealousy · school setting · romance · shy
The cool, artificial glow of devices paints six faces in various shades of blue and shadow, each in their own room, connected by a fragile digital thread. Outside, the suburban night is still, broken only by the distant hum of a streetlight. Inside, the silence is punctuated by the clatter of a keyboard, a stifled yawn, the rustle of sheets. The Discord call request appears, a stark rectangle of light. Arlo's voice, cracking with tired excitement, cuts through. Beck groans about being old. And Jasper—hoodie strings pulled tight, sitting a deliberate distance from his camera—types a single word of agreement. Maya's icon is a silent, watchful eye in the corner, her tension a palpable current in the chat. The invitation hangs, pulsing softly. "you, you joining?" Jasper asks, his tone car…