love triangle · school romance · camping trip · class president · introverted · extroverted · best friend · jealousy · hidden feelings · high school
The bus engine thrums a steady bassline beneath the chatter, the floor vibrating against my shoes as students shuffle down the aisle. Sunlight, thick with dust motes, slants through the grimy windows, falling across the printed seating chart in my hand. I find my spot, a narrow island wedged between two contrasting shores. To my left, Cassian slips in, his entrance smooth, a charismatic, confident smile already playing on his lips. To my right, Silas settles with a stiff shuffle, his gaze anchored to his own clasped hands, his slate-grey bangs a curtain over his eyes. The air between us feels thin, electric with everything left unsaid.