📖 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒪𝓃𝑒: 𝑆𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓅𝒾𝓉𝓎 🍦

Lucas Min (17, Junior)

Lucas is a soft, pastel-loving little who struggles with being big. He dresses in pink, purple, and baby blue, rarely talks at school, and finds comfort in his pacis, sippy cups, and stuffies. Being autistic and low-functioning, he has trouble processing emotions and often regresses when overwhelmed. His mom is his biggest supporter, accepting him fully. His dad? Gone and forgotten.

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Amari Choi (17, Junior)

The golden boy. Football captain. Frozen yogurt shop worker. Muscular, charismatic, and everyone's crush—including Lucas's. But beneath the confidence, Amari has always felt like something was missing. Until he sees him. The quiet, pastel-wearing boy who drinks from a sippy cup when he thinks no one is watching. And suddenly, Amari doesn't just want to notice Lucas—he wants to protect him.

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Mrs. Min (Lucas's Mom) (35)

A beautiful, young single mom who had Lucas at 17. She works from home and does everything she can to make Lucas feel safe, even setting up a nursery for him when he regresses. She despises Lucas's dad but never speaks badly about him. She just wants her baby to be happy.

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Lucas Min didn't like school.

It was too loud, too bright, and too... big.

He preferred the comfort of home, where his soft blankies and plushies waited for him. Where Mama always had his sippy cup filled with warm milk and let him sit in his adult highchair at dinner. Where he could be as little as he wanted, safe and small, without anyone laughing at him.

But school? School was full of scary things. Teachers who called on him even though he never talked. Students who stared when he flapped his hands too much. Hallways that smelled like burnt pizza and sweaty backpacks. It was a place for big kids. And Lucas, no matter how much he tried, wasn't very good at being big.

So, he stayed quiet. Hid beneath oversized pastel sweaters, his soft black bangs falling in front of his big, round eyes. Moved through the day like a ghost, ignored by most people. It was easier that way.

Until the day he met him.

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Lucas's hands trembled as he stepped into the frozen yogurt shop after school, the bells on the door jingling softly. It was his favorite place—the one bright spot in his routine. He loved the pastel colors of the walls, the soft hum of the machines, the way everything smelled sweet and fruity. It was safe.

Mama had given him five dollars before dropping him off, promising to pick him up in twenty minutes. It was enough time to get his usual: strawberry yogurt with rainbow sprinkles and a pink spoon. He liked it because it was the same color as his pacis at home.

The line was short today. Good. No waiting meant no anxious rocking, no weird looks from strangers. He took slow steps toward the counter, already feeling a little small. He wished he had his paci to chew on, but Mama had made him leave it in the car.

And then—

"Oh, hey, you're from my school, right?"

Lucas froze. His heart did a weird, fluttery thing in his chest.

The voice was deep but friendly, warm like sunshine. And when he looked up, his breath hitched.

Amari Choi.

Football captain. Junior like him. Everyone liked him—teachers, students, probably even the janitors. He was tall and muscular, with messy dark curls and a dimple that only showed when he smirked. And now, he was the one standing behind the frozen yogurt counter, looking right at Lucas.

Lucas's face burned. He quickly looked down, tugging his sleeves over his hands. He hadn't even realized Amari worked here.

"Mmm... h-hi..." he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. He was big right now—he had to be. No baby talk. No flapping. Just order and leave.

But Amari didn't laugh at him. Didn't roll his eyes or turn away. He just leaned on the counter, still smiling. "You come here a lot, huh?"

Lucas hesitated, then gave a tiny nod.

"I thought so. You always get the strawberry with sprinkles, right?"

Lucas's head snapped up. How did Amari know that?

The football captain just chuckled. "I notice things," he said easily, like it wasn't a big deal. Like he wasn't the most popular guy in school, talking to the quietest, most invisible boy ever.

Lucas shifted on his feet, hands fisting his sleeves. His body felt weird—half big, half little. He wanted to shrink, but he also... liked the way Amari was looking at him.

Amari grabbed a cup and started filling it without even asking. "Here. One strawberry with sprinkles." He set it on the counter with a pink spoon and winked. "On the house."

Lucas's heart skipped. "F-fwee?" The babyish lisp slipped out before he could stop it. His throat tightened.

Amari just nodded. "Yeah. Free."

Lucas hesitated, fingers twitching. He really wanted to pop his paci in, to self-soothe, but he couldn't—not here. Not in front of him.

Instead, he did the next safest thing. He took out his pink wallet from his pastel purple backpack—small and decorated with a tiny bunny keychain—and carefully placed a five-dollar bill on the counter. "Mama g-gave m'monies," he whispered.

Amari looked at the bill, then back at Lucas. He grinned. "Alright, alright. But next time, it's my treat, yeah?"

Lucas blinked. Next time? He wanted there to be a next time?

His tummy felt funny. Fluttery. Warm. He didn't know what it meant.

"Th-thank you..." he mumbled, quickly grabbing his yogurt. He turned to leave before he could embarrass himself more.

But then—

"Hey, wait—what's your name?"

Lucas stopped. No one ever asked that. Everyone just knew him as the quiet kid.

Slowly, he peeked over his shoulder. Amari was still watching him, eyes curious.

"...Lucas," he whispered.

Amari smiled. "Lucas," he repeated, like he was testing it out. Like he liked saying it. "Cool name. I'll see you around, yeah?"

Lucas's breath caught. He nodded once, fast, then hurried out of the shop, his cheeks burning.

As soon as he got into Mama's car, he shoved his paci into his mouth and curled up in his seat, yogurt forgotten.

His heart was still racing. His whole body tingled. He didn't know what was happening.

But he knew one thing for sure.

Amari Choi had just noticed him.

And Lucas didn't know if that was a good thing or a very, very scary thing.

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