chul
they stand at the chain-linked fence with their arms crossed as they watch the football game. they know that the makeup on their face is slightly smudged from drowsiness, but some blonde girl a few rooms down was going on about how everyone just has to go to tonight, since it's the first game of the year. chul didn't want to look shitty and not "show support," so they swiped on some charcoal eyeliner and bustled out of the door.
they find themselves thinking about atília, who has been touch-and-go in their room, who has skipped some periods but has shown up to some of the normal, everyday classes the two share. the cross on his nightstand has still sat there, collecting dust. chul is still trying to find out what is going on with him, with the boy whose face is metal; cool, hard, nearly impossible to break.
they snap back into reality, only to stare mindlessly at the players, sensing their lack of company that hasn't bothered them until now. paranoia twists its way into the pit of their stomach.
"wow, it looks amazing," a voice interrupts, and chul turns to see a blonde bob with bubble gum-colored lips. she's looking up at them, with her nearly five-foot-two frame, her eyebrows furrowed. she raises her hands to gesture her mistake. "your makeup, i mean."
a smile etches its way onto their face, and they stick their hand out to shake hers, right as the audience of the home side of bleachers cheers at a touchdown. "thank you, i'm chul."
the stranger pulls her hand away and buries it back into her coat pocket. she wraps her raspberry-printed scarf tighter around her neck. "teddie."
"short for...?"
"theodore," she replies, trying to laugh it off as normal. "my parents are huge history buffs. they thought i was going to be a boy, and they happen to love the roosevelt family, so..."
"interesting," chul comments awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "do you have any other siblings named after the roosevelts? haha." why did they say that out loud?
"my brother is named after theodore roosevelt's; elliot."
"that's definitely unique. i really like that," they grin, relieved that they are no longer alone.
there is a light blush on her cheeks, from the chill in the air or the statement she's about to make, they don't know. "i don't mean to be forward, but do you think you could teach me sometime? how to do eyeliner that well? i mean, you do a phenomenal job."
no one has ever said that to them before. "of course."
their smile doesn't fade off of their face.
