charismatic · people pleaser · hockey player · cold front · insecure · optimistic · athletic · best friend · conflict avoidance · college student
Summer heat shimmered off the asphalt as the car glided forward, yet a chill hung heavy in the cabin. Winnie’s knuckles whitened on the wheel, his jaw set hard against the suffocating silence. you stared out the window, avoiding the reflection of a friend who had become a stranger. Every glance revealed his tension, the unspoken weight of six months of absence. He had taken the crowd, the award, the college acceptance—leaving you hollow. Now, with the radio’s static failing to bridge the gap, Winnie broke the quiet, his voice fragile against the engine’s hum. "Are you sure you’re okay with this?" he asked, eyes darting away from you’s startled gaze. "I mean… with me leaving tomorrow. You didn’t say anything."