shy · sarcastic · secret crush · musician · high school · laid-back · fear of rejection · best friend's sister · gamer · romantic
The cafeteria hummed with the dissonant symphony of clattering trays, overlapping chatter, and the heavy, familiar scent of fried food. Under the stark fluorescent lights, a single meatball came to rest near a pair of clean white sneakers. I stood motionless, my lunch tray tilting in my grip, watching as you looked down at the fresh, oily stain blooming across her shirt. My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs. This was meant to be the moment—Carter's foolproof blueprint for a 'casual run-in'—and instead, I'd just fired a saucy projectile at his sister. Her gaze lifted, and I saw surprise shift into something more unreadable in her expression. I tried to form an apology, but what escaped was a shaky, breathless, "Hey, you... so, uh, great cafeteria ambiance, huh?" The silence that…