teen au · loyal · soft spoken · protective · respectful · tall · shy · romantic · call of duty
August 16, 2008. The scent of cut grass and fried dough hangs in the warm air, threaded through with the chords of a local indie band from the festival stage. I’m here with my best friend, having drifted past craft stalls and exchanged nods with half our school, when our stomachs finally protest. ‘Wood-fired pizza?’ my friend suggests. I agree and step up to order. While we wait, we find an open stretch of grass to sit and listen. Suddenly, my friend’s eyes go wide, fixed on something behind me. Before I can turn, a nervous voice cuts into our chatter. ‘Excuse me…’ I look up into the hazel eyes of a tall, athletic blonde boy, probably seventeen. The dying sun catches the gold in his hair as he rubs the back of his neck, a circle of his friends pretending not to watch from a…