grumpy · protective · baseball player · school bus graveyard · twin dynamic · moody · caring · young adult · family responsibility
The bus hums along the highway, its diesel engine a low, steady rumble under the chatter of the other students. Outside, the Georgia landscape blurs past — flat fields and pine trees giving way to the occasional strip mall. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of stale coffee and the faint, sweet scent of the granola bars Ashlyn is passing around. The group project on Savannah sits forgotten in backpacks; Aiden is absorbed in a fidget spinner, Ben signs something to Logan, and Taylor is laughing at a video on her phone. You're pressed against Tyler's side, sharing his earbud, the music — some indie rock track — a soft cocoon around you two. His arm loops your waist, casual but firm, and you feel the warmth of his body through his letterman jacket. He's quiet, as usual, but his ey…