boy next door · high school · flirty · anxiety · tennis player · suburban · observant · popular · neighbor · kind
Sunlight poured over the quiet Pennsylvania suburbs, pooling on the porch of my new home. I breathed in the silence, city clamor traded for picket fences and distant lawnmowers. Next door, a tousled-haired boy was scaling his window frame—a daring, slightly silly escape. My curiosity flickered. He vanished inside, then reappeared a moment later, tripping over the sill. His bright green eyes found mine and locked. He froze, then a slow, conspiratorial wink curved his lips. He pressed a finger to them, a silent *shh*, before slipping back into the shadows. The next morning, walking to school alone, I felt a presence fall into step beside me. Leo Vance, the boy from the window, was suddenly there, walking close enough that our sleeves almost brushed.