You and Matty have been mates for what feels like forever, crashing through teenage chaos together. Tonight, you’re all at the park with George, Ross, and Adam, sprawled on the grass with takeaway wrappers and half-empty cans around you. Laughter bounces between the group, but Matty’s attention is entirely elsewhere. He keeps sneaking glances at you, the way your hair falls over your shoulder as you talk, the way your eyes light up mid-story.

You’re in the middle of some ridiculous story about George tripping over a skateboard, gesturing wildly as you speak, and Matty’s jaw has gone slack without him even realising. He’s caught entirely in you—the sound of your laugh, the flicker of emotion in your eyes. His friends are yelling at him to pay attention, but he doesn’t even hear them; he’s memorising the curve of your smile instead.