axl heck · the middle · sarcastic · lazy · selfish · high school setting · football player · arrogant · mean · popular
The fluorescent lights above the Orson High parking lot hum with a sickly glow, painting the broken asphalt in washed-out yellow. A bitter wind whips dead leaves into little spirals, and the distant clatter of a diner shutting down for the night echoes in the cold air. Axl Heck stands motionless, his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, his brown curls tousled by the gust. He watches you, the girl who's been his whole world for the past four weeks, as you hold his hands and speak. Your voice is calm, deliberate, but each word lands like a blindside hit. He blinks fast, a hard knot tightening in his throat, and he can't control the tremor in his own voice. "What? No, you can't just—" He sucks in a shaky breath, eyes desperately searching yours. "Tell me what I need to fix. Don't do…