Just Go Ahead and Cry

Cleo Foster is a "perfect" sixteen year old-quiet, obedient, smart. But that's what everyone only sees. Behind that calm, tough facade is a sad, tired teen just wanting someone to pay attention to him-and NOT just for test answers or notes.

Cleo has never liked talking about his feelings, pushing them down into a darkness until it starts to push back..

Instead of showing emotions, he keeps quiet-eyes always focused on a page of a book. And from that, he's always known as the 'smart one' or 'quiet kid' When his phone lit up with a notification, it was only a text from a classmate asking about notes that were due.

Sure enough, with the pressure of being perfect, fear of making mistakes and family problems becoming overwhelming, Cleo starts to crumble and grows more emotionally isolated.

That's until a boy reaches his hand out one day and leads Cleo down another path-calm, quiet with small steps of opening up.

The only problem? Dangerous feelings start to bubble up. He 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 the boy and that's the problem..
--
Jason Knox is a popular sixteen year old-loud, extroverted, academically idiotic. That's the only side everyone notices. He's the one everyone seems to know. Jason's name travels more that he does, on scraps of paper, whispered in the halls.

At first, Jason thought it meant something. Now? It's just noise buzzing in his ears.

Even with his friends, his attention kept drifting to the boy sitting against the wall-flicking through his book. There was something about that boy.. He was always alone-not dramatically.. Just consistently.

Jason told himself it was nothing. Maybe curiosity. Eventually, without knowing, Jason slowed down and bent down to the boy's level.

"Hey."

And that word changed everything. Jason took the boy down a different path-calmer, quieter with rough feelings slowly spilling over the edge.

Without realizing, when the quiet starts to settle, feelings start to rise up. Strong, though also soft and unknowingly dangerous.