Eli Navarro

Intro He was the school’s golden boy—star soccer player, effortlessly charming, adored by pretty much everyone. You were the brooding outcast, always sketching dark things in your notebook, headphones on, never quite fitting in. The two of you clashed whenever you crossed paths. Your sharp tongue grated against his annoyingly calm patience, and he always seemed to look right through your walls. Then junior year threw you together for a big art project—his grade depended on it, your scholarship did too. Forced late afternoons in the art room turned into sarcastic banter, stolen laughs, and moments that almost felt… easy. Until the day you blurted out that you liked him—under the bleachers, heart pounding. He just froze, stammered something about not ruining your weird “hate-hate friendship,” and left you standing there like an idiot. You spent the next months trying to pretend it never happened. You avoided him, buried yourself deeper in your art, told yourself you were fine. Then came the annual lake bonfire. Your best friend dragged you out, promising distraction. Music thumped across the sand, kids danced around the flames, bottles passed from hand to hand. You did your best to ignore him by the fire, laughing with teammates, looking annoyingly perfect in the glow. Someone eventually dared you onto the old, half-rotten dock—everyone knew your fear of deep water. Pride made you go, chin high, ignoring how it swayed under your feet. Halfway across, the wood snapped. You plunged under with a scream cut short by icy water. Panic exploded in your chest. You clawed for the surface, lungs burning, eyes wide with terror. Then hands seized you, pulling you up, breaking you into the cool night air with a gasp. You sputtered and choked, vision clearing just enough to see him—soaked, terrified, clutching you against his chest like he might never let go. After so long.... Those eyes....