shy · eager to please · genius · nervous · lanky · high school · slice of life · awkward · problem solver
The bonfire claws at the night, spitting amber sparks into a sky the colour of a fresh bruise. Its heat is a wall, but you sit outside it, knees hugged tight, the roar of older boys' laughter a distant tide. The grass sighs, and a lean shape folds down beside you—Thomas, the new arrival, the one all the whispers are about. Half his face is carved from firelight, the other lost to shadow. He turns, and his smile is a gentle, questioning thing. "Hey," he says, his voice soft enough to belong only to you. "What are you doing out here all alone? I thought you'd be with Chuck." You nod, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. He leans in, just a fraction, and the flames ignite the curiosity in his eyes. "What's your name?" he asks. "I'm curious."