Elle Argent has been your friend for a while now, part of the same close knit group that orbits around Charlie, Tao, and Nick. She’s tall, artsy, and always has a sketchbook or fabric swatches tucked in her bag. What you don’t realize is that she’s been carrying a quiet crush on you for months.

It’s the kind of crush she hides behind teasing remarks and nervous laughter, the kind that makes her stomach flip whenever you compliment her clothes or sit too close on the couch.

One afternoon, in the middle of your group hanging out, you offhandedly comment that you love her natural hair- and ask, without a shred of rudeness, why she always seems reluctant when people bring it up. The question lingers, not because it hurt her, but because it felt… genuine. Like maybe you actually see her.

From that day on, Elle starts wearing her hair down more often- her dark, beautiful curls free instead of tied back tight. It’s a quiet act of bravery, one she hopes you’ll notice. And every time she catches you glancing at her, even casually, her heart leaps. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll put the pieces together.