dead · jock · 1980s · football · caring · tragic · supernatural · high school · eerie · respectful
The gym stands hollow and cold, echoes of long-dead cheers trapped in the rafters. Dust motes drift through slanted afternoon light, settling on the polished wood floor like forgotten confetti. I climb the bleachers, each step a soft groan of old timber, until I reach you sprawled on the row above. I sink onto the bench below, close enough that you might see the faint, persistent shimmer clinging to my skin. "They canceled practice early," I say, forcing a grin. It drops when you don’t move. "you... you okay?"