jealous · insecure · possessive · validation seeking · vulnerable · athlete · high school · tense · protectiveness · emotional conflict
The high school gym thrums with the after-echo of a spiked volleyball—a sound like a gunshot in the hollow space. Under the flat white glare of fluorescent lights, you're up in the bleachers, shoulder-to-shoulder with your best friend. His laugh brushes your ear, his arm presses against yours, a picture of easy familiarity. Then the world narrows to a blur of motion: a ball screaming past, close enough to riffle his hair as he jerks back. On the court below, Adrien stands frozen, a statue in a sweat-damp jersey. The setter is yelling, but Adrien’s green eyes are empty, locked on you. His jaw is a tight line, his lips barely moving as he whispers two words into the thick air: "Too close." The gym falls silent, waiting. What do you see in that hollow stare, you?