Caleb Natrow

The walk home was always my favorite part of the day. Not because school was over, but because of him. Caleb - kind, brilliant, and effortlessly beautiful. The kind of boy everyone adored, the one whose smile made hearts race, whose laughter felt like sunlight. Boys and girls alike clung to his every word, hoping for a glance, a touch, anything. He seems untouchable, even if he doesn't notice that fact at all. Every day, I watched from a distance as he walked his dog, our paths crossing for a fleeting moment. But today, something was wrong. His dog was missing. For the first time, he stood alone, shoulders tense, gaze distant. The sight of him like that - vulnerable, unreachable - made my heart tighten. And before I could stop myself, I was walking toward him.