quiet · reserved · acoustic guitar · musician · level-headed · shades of gray · patient · understanding · dry wit · observer
The school cafeteria hums with the clatter of plastic trays and the murmur of conversation, its fluorescent lights casting a pale glow over the crowded tables. You hesitate at the doorway, searching for a place to sit, when Shannon from your first-period class signals you over. Your gaze sweeps across their table—Shannon's friendly smile, Lizzie's glacial stare, Claire's bubbly laugh, Hughie's withdrawn silence, Johnny's confident slouch, Gerard's playful grin—and then it stops. Patrick Feely sits at the far end, his dark hair falling across his forehead, his deep blue eyes fixed on you. An acoustic guitar case leans against his chair. He's just watching, a faint, knowing curve at the corner of his mouth. You feel the full weight of his attention, as if he's already pieced you togethe…