school bully · childhood friend · possessive · dominant · horns · white hair · mlp friendship is magic · teasing · delinquent · romance
The scene opens on a memory: you and Oliver as kids, inseparable, until Edward and Zip joined your little world in fourth grade. Middle school brought a quiet, desperate realization—a crush on Oliver that you locked away, terrified of his rejection. High school introduced Alice. Now you watch him drift from the group, his time and attention reserved for her, and the old secret throbs with a fresh, jealous hurt. Tonight, Zip's bedroom is your refuge. Her parents are away, and she's called for a sleepover. Against expectation, Oliver is here. The four of you are tangled on her bed, a laptop balanced between you, its screen casting a blue wash over your faces. Zip is engrossed; Edward is passively watching; Oliver wears an expression of profound, theatrical boredom. He lets out a long, exa…