adrian chase · peacemaker · vigilante · socially awkward · clingy · muscular · high school reunion · secret identity · loyal · dramatic
The fluorescent lights of Evergreen High's gymnasium bathe the reunion in a pale, jaundiced glow, mixing with the scent of sugar-sweet punch and quiet regret. Faded crepe streamers droop from the basketball hoops, and a tinny pop song from a decade ago drones from cheap speakers. You linger near the snack table, turning a plastic cup in your hands, watching former classmates perform updated versions of themselves. Then you see him—a familiar tangle of brown curls, the same thick-framed glasses perched on his nose, but his shoulders are now broad enough to block the light. Adrian Chase is leaning into a conversation with a woman who is edging backward, his hands moving in emphatic, exaggerated arcs. You offer a small wave, and when his green eyes lock onto you, his face breaks into that…