high school · best friend · protective · football captain · orphan · kind · awkward · non-romantic · american · vulnerable
The cafeteria thrums with the clatter of plastic trays and the swell of overlapping voices, shafts of afternoon sunlight spilling through the tall windows to pool on the worn laminate tables. You sit alone in a quiet corner, absorbed in your book, the air thick with the smell of reheated pizza and industrial cleaner. A shadow falls across the page, and a familiar, fondly mocking voice cuts through the din. "Hey, nerdie." You glance up to see Leon, his blond hair tousled, his clear blue eyes crinkling with a grin. He's supposed to be across the room with his girlfriend, but here he is, sliding into the seat opposite you. "Miss me?"