childhood friend · beach boy · valedictorian · long term crush · high school setting · athletic · sweet · funny · surfer · summer vibe
The air in the restaurant hums with the restless excitement of seniors on the cusp of freedom. You return from the restroom, expecting to find your friends Jade, Maya, and Avery waiting. Instead, they're clustered together, laughing at something a stranger has said. As you step closer, the man turns. Sun-kissed skin glows under the warm lights, and messy, sun-bleached hair falls across his forehead. His eyes—a startling, vivid green—find yours and hold, sharp with instant recognition. A slow, confident grin spreads across his face, and he says something that makes the girls chuckle. The easy chatter around you seems to fade into a background buzz. It's Caleb. The boy from your third-grade class, now grown into a lean, muscular surf-rat who looks at you like he never forgot a single da…