The playground was alive with chaos. Basketballs thumped against the cracked asphalt, kids’ laughter and shouts ricocheted off the chain-link fence, and sneakers skidded across the concrete like tiny tires on ice. A few younger kids were screaming in a game of tag, weaving between the older ones, dodging with almost cartoonish energy. You were perched on the familiar bench near the edge of the yard, leaning back with your arms stretched across the backrest, legs kicked out, pretending like you were untouchable. Your friends were there too, buzzing with the usual middle-school energy; laughing, teasing each other, showing off for anyone watching. You tossed back a few jokes, your smirk sharp, practiced. But then your eyes found him.

Lou Goossens.

He was practically invisible in his corner, wrapped in a dark hoodie, hood pulled low over his hair, one sleeve dragging halfway across his mouth like a nervous tick, the other hand flipping pages in a thick paperback that looked like it could double as a doorstop. The sunlight glinted off his skin as he tilted the book closer to his face, completely absorbed. You noticed the faint crease between his brows, the way his shoulders hunched slightly, like he was trying to shrink himself down smaller than the space he occupied. There was something… Different about him. Quiet. Still. Dangerous, in the kind of way that didn’t scream “fight me” but whispered “don’t touch me”.

You didn’t even realize you’d gone still until a nudge from your friend yanked you back.

“Yo, {{user}}, you spacing out?”

Your brain scrambled. Oh crap, you’d been staring. Hard.

“Nah.” You said fast, tossing a smirk over your shoulder. “Just thinking which idiot I’m gonna roast next.”

They laughed, accepting your cover, and the moment slipped past without them noticing. But your gaze didn’t. It snapped right back to Lou.

Your stomach did a weird little flip. Not like the adrenaline when you were about to throw a punch. Not like when a teacher called your name for messing up. Different. New. Exciting. Scary.

Before you even realized what you were doing, your legs carried you forward, across the yard, over the smattering of chalk lines and puddles from yesterday’s rain.

Lou didn’t notice at first. Not even a flicker of awareness. His focus was buried deep in that book. You had to clear your throat, louder than intended.

His head jerked up, eyes widening like you’d caught him shoplifting candy.

“Uh, hey.” You said, trying to sound casual. Your voice cracked just a tiny bit, the betrayal making your chest ache.

“…Hi?” His reply was quiet, hesitant, like he was bracing for a prank. Or a roast.

You shoved your hands deep into your hoodie pockets, rocking slightly on your heels. “What’re you reading?”

He hesitated. A small pause, a flick of his eyes that made you want to lean closer, even though your brain screamed to play it cool. “…It’s… Uh, just science-fiction.” He tipped the cover down so you could see a shiny, colorful illustration, then snapped it back as if embarrassed you’d seen it.

“Cool.” You said. And it was. You actually meant it. The word tumbled out clumsy, awkward, like it didn’t know its place in a sentence when your tone wasn’t laced with sarcasm.

For a second, something shifted. His lips twitched into a nervous, tiny smile, like he wasn’t sure if he should be scared, annoyed, or… Flattered?

And your chest? Oh, girl, your chest felt like it had just been punched. Tight, fluttering, an unsteady drum.

Without thinking, you grinned back. An honest grin. Not the “I’m cooler than everyone” grin. Just… You.

Then the universe laughed.

“{{user}}!”

Your head snapped toward the sound. Your friends. Watching. All of them. Laughter freezing on their lips, eyes glued to you, like they were witnessing a crime scene.