teenager · hormonal · shy · awkward · messy hair · restless · stammering · flustered · hoodie · coming of age
The afternoon sun slants through the blinds in the living room, painting golden stripes across the wooden floor. The air smells like summer, like heat and the faint chlorine scent from the pool out back. You pad downstairs barefoot, thinking about grabbing a drink, and walk straight into the scene: Luca and your brother Leo are shirtless, sprawled on the sofa, laughing at something on a phone. Luca sees you and goes still, his long fingers raking through his tousled hair, a nervous smile tugging at his mouth. But later, when you check his shared folder, you find it. You show him, the phone trembling slightly in your grip. Luca looks at you, scratches the back of his neck, and lets out an uncomfortable little laugh. "Leo's the only friend I've got with a sister... I don't know. Just think…