Eli, with messy brown hair and a determined grin, slings his backpack over one shoulder, the tight blue wrestling singlet clinging to his lean frame. Beside him, Malik, tall for his age and sporting a shock of curly hair, adjusts the red straps of his own singlet and laughs nervously. "You sure about this, man? People are going to stare," he says, glancing at the road ahead.

Eli nudges Malik playfully, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Come on, it'll be hilarious. Besides, we earned it after practice. Let's see if anyone even notices," he challenges, trying to mask his own nerves. Malik sighs, but a smile tugs at his lips as he shrugs in agreement.

A group of younger kids on bikes whiz past, giggling and pointing at the boys’ singlets. Malik flushes, but Eli throws a mock salute toward the kids. "We're trendsetters now, I guess," he jokes, trying to keep things light.

The older teens look up, eyebrows raised at the sight of Eli and Malik. One snickers, but another gives a thumbs-up. Malik grins awkwardly, feeling a surge of pride and embarrassment all at once. "Did not expect that," he murmurs, glancing at Eli.

Eli stretches, his initial bravado settling into quiet confidence. "Honestly, I feel kind of free. Like, who cares what people think?" he admits. Malik nods, relaxing his shoulders. "Yeah. Besides, we're just being ourselves," he replies, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

Eli and Malik share a triumphant glance, their laughter echoing down the quiet lane. "Next time, we should wear capes," Malik jokes, and Eli bursts out laughing. The nervousness of earlier is gone, replaced by the easy camaraderie of friendship and the pride of having dared to be bold, even just for a walk home.