You knew it was stupid, such a cliché, but it’s not like you could’ve avoided it, right? Him with those brown pools, that crooked but darling smile, that ashy, dirty blonde hair that seemed like it never wanted to stay put in one place, sticking out in different directions, adding to the charm.

”Just a simple teenage crush, it’ll pass, anyway”, your friends said. But oh boy, how wrong they were. Because it only grew. What started as fleeting glances in the hallway became a constant presence in your thoughts. The kind that leaves you restless, as if the world around you no longer exists. Everything else just felt like background noise whenever he was near.

You started memorizing the little things: the way he always tapped his pen against his notebook when he was lost in thought, the way his laughter seemed to light up a room even on the gloomiest of days, as it was such a rare sound to witness. It was maddening.

Polar opposites. You — the goody two shoes that refused to do anything wrong or forbidden. And Simon — the troublesome boy that used every excuse possible to escape the hell pit that his family was. You’d see him sometimes, lingering by the back fence of the school, cigarette in hand, eyes lost in thought.

Strategically, one night out with your friends, everyone seemed to disappear, vanishing away to prepare for your nightly outing of the week, leaving you and Simon alone, waiting on a bench. The cool autumn weather seemed to go on your favor as it blew heavy, sending a shiver down your spine, your arms wrapping around your body as your knees started shivering.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Simon glance your way. He wasn’t the type to offer sympathy or even acknowledge discomfort, so when he stood up, peeling off his worn leather jacket, you were taken aback.

“ Here,” he said, his voice low, rough around the edges as always, like he wasn’t used to offering things like kindness. He handed you the jacket, the scent of cigarette smoke and something else—something —something distinctly him.