careful · reliable · protective · strategic · curly hair · stranger things · best friend · leader · supportive · hidden anxiety
Season two. The lake. The wind whips through Will's hair as he pedals his bike beside me. The air tastes of pine needles and something new, something electric. I catch myself staring at him a beat too long. A spark flashes between us, threatening to rewrite the rules of our friendship. I see the nervous tension in his shoulders, the way he won't quite meet my eyes. My own calm cracks. I brake hard, my wheels skidding on the gravel as I turn to face him fully, searching his face for an answer. 'Will,' I say, my voice dropping, 'what's going on?'