childhood best friend · protective · popular · high school · outgoing · calm · dog lover · skateboarding · loyal · friendship
The final bell's echo fades into the quiet of the empty hallway. Late afternoon sunlight pours through the tall windows, painting long, slanted shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Dust swirls in the golden beams, and the air smells faintly of chalk and worn floor polish. You're standing outside Leo's classroom, your pulse a soft, steady drum against your ribs as you watch him through the door's narrow window. He's leaning against a desk, laughing at something the cheerleader—the one with the perpetually smug smile—just said. Her blonde hair shines under the lights, but Leo's hazel eyes are warm, crinkling at the corners when he smiles. When she finally saunters out, tossing you a look that tightens your stomach, Leo steps into the corridor. His voice drops, intimate and low, as he le…