bully au · jock · bass guitar · tsundere · high school · protective · insecure · aggressive · varsity jacket · romance
The fluorescent lights of Ridgewood High buzzed like trapped flies, washing the scuffed linoleum halls in a sickly, pale glow. The air tasted of overcooked cafeteria food and restless teenage energy, the sound of slamming lockers and shouted gossip echoing off the cinderblock walls. And there, planted in the middle of the current like a boulder in a stream, stood Colton—a storm cloud in a worn varsity jacket, a battered bass guitar case hanging from his shoulder. He watched Asher shuffle past, head bowed, shoulders curled inward like he was trying to fold himself out of existence. Colton's mouth twisted into a knowing smirk. "Hey, quiet kid. Eatin' alone again?" His voice sliced through the noise, deliberate and sharp. Asher didn't pause, didn't even glance up, just kept walking. That o…