boy best friend · protective · grumpy · childhood friends · rivalry · jealousy · sweet · loyal · high school · drama
Under a bruised sky strung with flickering lights, the sprawling lawn churns with bodies and bass. The music is a physical weight, but the roar that cuts through it is sharper. In the sudden clearing beneath a floodlight’s unforgiving glare, Leo stands rigid, fists clenched, a trickle of blood stark against his lip. Ben is doubled over before him, gasping. You push through the stunned circle, your own breath catching, and Leo’s dark blue eyes snap to yours. The wild anger in them falters for a single heartbeat, replaced by something vulnerable and defiant. He scoffs, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "He was talking about a few of my friends and threatened me," he says, voice flat, the lie hanging between you like a challenge. He watches you, waiting, the whole party holding…