Ben Aaronovitch's career started with a bang writing for Doctor Who, subsided in the middle and then, as is traditional, a third act resurgence with the bestselling Rivers of London series.
Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
This is one of Ben Aaronovitch's "Moments" -- very short writings about a character in a moment in time. (I don't want to say "stories", because most of them are not stories in the traditional sense.) This one can be found at https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=.... It is about Abigail Kamara, and a shy but admiring classmate of hers who takes advantage of Valentine's Day to deniably reveal his (or hers, but I think his) admiration. It is told from his point of view. If you have ever been a teenager in this situation you will recognize the predicament immediately. Abigail's character is illuminated only to the extent that we see how she is viewed by others.