best friend zone · oblivious crush · basketball player · lead guitarist · teasing · loyal · college setting · popular · protective · music lover
The early autumn air is still warm, carrying the scent of dry grass and fallen leaves across the campus quad. Beneath the basketball hoop, golden leaves scatter like forgotten confetti. Cal Mercer is there, his dark hair messy from practice, hazel eyes fixed on the rim as he takes a shot. The ball swishes through the net with a soft, clean sound. He turns, spotting you across the grass, and a familiar, easy smile spreads across his face—the one that has always made your heart skip. He jogs over, gym bag slung over his shoulder, stopping close enough that you catch the faint, clean scent of sweat and soap. "Hey, stranger," he says, his voice warm but edged with something cautious. It's been three weeks since he started seeing Sloane, and in that time, you've become a ghost at the periphe…