"What if the love you were meant for... had been sitting just one seat away all along?" Brie never imagined that the quiet boy asked to sit beside him in third grade would one day become his safe place, his home. What began with childhood tears turned into shared secrets, playful dares, and a wish whispered under a shooting star. As their bond deepened, love revealed itself, not in grand gestures, but in the quiet moments in between. But in a world that never stops changing, can a love that started in silence withstand the noise of growing up?

Boy meets boy. Boy mocks boy. Boy falls (a little too hard). Dior Max is all sharp edges and smoother fabrics-stylish, strategic, and emotionally unbothered. Or so he pretends. Brix Julian is a walking headache with a guitar: smug, loud, and alarmingly good at sending the wrong message. They argue. They prank. They lock eyes for too long in crowded hallways. It's not flirting-it's war. Obviously. But somewhere between the teasing and tension, Dior starts collecting hope-one red paper heart at a time. Every mixed signal? Folded. Stored. Counted. He'll confess when the jar is full. Because maybe, just maybe, Brix means it. SPOILER ALERT: he doesn't. Turns out the signals were smoke, the crush was one-sided, and the heartbreak? Custom-tailored. Chords vs. Collars. Gloss meets grit. A stylish slow-burn that stings where it shouldn't. Because the cruelest crushes don't break-they hum. ___________// ⚠ gentle heads-up! This story explores sensitive themes such as homophobia, emotional trauma, misunderstandings, and the use of strong language. Please read with care and kindness to yourself. Your heart and well-being matter most. ♡ (Note: This story is currently a work in progress and may include typos or little grammar hiccups. Thank you for your patience and love!) 🧵🎸 just a tiny disclaimer: This story is fictional. Some scenes are inspired by real moments I experienced in junior high, and a few characters are loosely based on old friends. But everything else names, places, events is purely imagined. Any similarities are purely coincidental. This is a personal story, a metaphor for a forbidden love I once had. If it feels familiar or cliché, that's not intentional. This story is mine. 🫶🏻