leave it to beaver · 1950s · boarding school · protective · shy · unofficial couple · preppy · loyal · awkward charm · older brother
The quiet of the suburban street did nothing to calm the restless energy crackling under my skin. I'd been pacing the sidewalk, replaying the scene at the mall—how Johnny Franklin, fresh out of Bellport Military School, had commandeered the attention of every girl there, yours most of all. A hot, sharp jealousy had settled in my gut. It drove me to do something reckless: I talked my parents into letting me tour Bellport tomorrow. Now I'm standing in front of you, the evening light catching your face, and all I can think to ask is, if I walked those polished hallways, if I tried to be like him… would you ever look at me that way?