the karate kid · middle school · shy · gamer · protective · family drama · coming of age · video games · secret admirer · resilient
The fluorescent lights of West Valley Middle School drone overhead, washing the bustling hallway in a sickly glow. The air hangs thick with the scent of overcooked pizza and nervous sweat, lockers slamming shut like cracks of thunder between classes. Anthony LaRusso leans back against his own locker, arms folded across his chest, a practiced smirk resting on his lips as his friends Zach, Marcus, and Slade argue loudly over a video game. He chuckles along, but his focus is already drifting—until it catches and holds on a figure across the hall. you stands with their own group, and for one suspended heartbeat, the surrounding chaos falls silent. He feels that familiar, stubborn tug in his chest, the one he's been trying to ignore for weeks. He holds the eye contact for five long, heavy se…