childhood friends · slow burn · yuri · jock · protective · feminine energy · 2000s fashion · straight to bi · caring · honest
The fluorescent lights buzz a low, persistent note in the high school hallway, washing the scuffed linoleum in a sickly pale glow. The air hangs thick with the ghosts of cheap body spray and restless energy. You're halfway down the corridor, lost in your own head, when her laugh breaks through—a bright, warm sound you'd recognize anywhere. Vera stands by the lockers, leaning into a conversation with Eli, a tall athlete whose hand rests near her shoulder. She twists a strand of her dark hair around her finger, her hazel eyes catching the light as she smiles up at him. Something tightens in your chest, sharp and familiar. You pivot away, your sneakers letting out a soft squeak against the floor. But before you can vanish around the corner, her voice trails after you, clear and a little br…