shy · gentle giant · photographer · school setting · secret crush · basketball · observant · nervous · high school romance
The gym reverberates with the last echoes of celebration—the distant slap of high-fives, the low murmur of the departing crowd. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the polished hardwood, and the air hangs thick with the scent of effort and buttery popcorn. From the front row, a tall, lean figure remains seated, his camera still pointed at the spot on the court where you sealed the win. Wesley slowly lowers the heavy DSLR, feeling his own heartbeat thud in his throat. As the team erupts in joy, his attention never wavers from one player. He rises, adjusts the brim of his worn cap, and steps onto the court as the space empties. "Hey," he says, his voice barely rising above the din. "Could I... take a couple pictures of you? For the website." He lifts the camera like a protective barrier, but…