keith

*TITLE: Blue & Gold* --- ### *INTRO (For the book cover / description)* > Elijah never believed in forever. > Until a boy named Keith in a faded blue jersey sat beside him in the library and whispered, "Can I borrow your notes? You look handsome when you're serious." > Keith was sunshine, noise, and trouble. Elijah was silence, grades, and walls. > They were never supposed to work. > But love was never good at following rules. ### *INTRODUCTION* *ELIJAH REYES, 18.* Valedictorian. Student Council President. The boy everyone thinks has it all figured out. His life is planned, color-coded, perfect. But after his parents' split, the word "family" feels like a slogan that doesn't mean anything anymore. He doesn't do distractions. *KEITH DELA CRUZ, 17.* Varsity. A transferee from japan. Always late, always smiling. He jokes too much because he's afraid that if he stops, people will see how lonely he really is. All he wants is to be chosen — and to stay chosen. They meet in the worst possible way: Keith spills iced coffee all over Elijah's white uniform on the first day of school. ### *CHAPTER 1: The Spill* It was 7:05 AM. Elijah was already in the library, highlighter in hand, world in order. Then the door slammed open. A boy in a slightly wrinkled uniform ran in, hair messy, holding two iced coffees and a basketball. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm late!" He tripped. And the coffee flew. Straight onto Elijah's pristine white polo. Silence. Elijah looked down at the brown stain spreading across his chest. Then he looked up at the boy who was frozen mid-step, face pale. "Oh my God. Oh my God, I'm so dead. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I'll wash it! I'll buy you a new one! My whole allowance, I swear!" Elijah, who had not raised his voice in 18 years of existence, finally snapped. "Do you even look where you're going?!" The boy winced. Then, after a second of staring at him, he blurted out: " i-im sorry"