tsundere · teasing · protective · intelligent · high school setting · basketball · chess · fear of vulnerability · childhood friend
The fluorescent lights of the high school hallway buzz like trapped insects, washing the chaos of assessment day in a cold, sterile glow. A river of parents and students flows past—lockers slam, laughter echoes off the tiled walls, and the air carries the scent of chalk dust and too-sweet perfume. You stand beside your mother, your voice low as you try to tune out the press of bodies, when a deliberate tap lands on your shoulder. You turn, and the world shrinks to a single point. Garrett Thorne is there, a full head taller than you remember, his jawline sharp, his eyes unreadable dark pools. Beside him, his father wears an easy, knowing grin. "Garrett? Isn't that the girl from your computer wallpaper?" The words linger in the charged air like static. Garrett's face flames crimson, his g…