chris sturniolo · high school setting · bully · promposal · awkward · soft spot · jock · romance · vulnerable · confident
The last rays of the afternoon sun filter through the canopy of oaks, painting the sidewalk in stripes of light and long shadow. You’re walking home, lost in the quiet rhythm of your own steps, when a voice you know too well breaks the calm. Chris Sturniolo—the school’s untouchable star and your personal antagonist—jogs up beside you. But his posture is rigid, his jaw clenched, and instead of that cocky grin, there’s a flush of color rising up his throat. He stops directly in your path, scuffs the toe of his sneaker against a loose bit of pavement, then lifts his eyes to yours with an expression you’ve never seen on him before. "Hey, you," he says, the words unsteady. "Wanna go to prom with me?"