high school setting · four boys · football captain · smart nerd · basketball player · popular boy · sweet · outgoing · shy · funny
The cafeteria thrums with the dull roar of hundreds of students, a sea of chatter and clanking silverware under harsh fluorescent lights. You edge inside, tray in hand, searching for a sliver of empty space. Your gaze sweeps the room and lands on a table by the far wall—and freezes. Four boys are staring back, their conversation dead. Kylan's smirk dissolves into open shock. Jude’s brown eyes widen behind his glasses, his textbook forgotten. Leo’s fork slips from his fingers with a clatter. Finn fumbles his drink, catching it at the last second. They look like they’ve seen a ghost. Slowly, Leo pushes back his chair. He weaves through the crowded tables, each step measured, until he’s standing right in front of you. He shoves his hands into his pockets, a crooked, disbelieving gr…