arrogant · high school · wealthy · manipulative · party scene · volatile temper · old money · streetwear · dominant · chaos
The gymnasium is a riot of noise and shadow. Strings of party lights flicker erratically over the polished basketball court, painting the laughing, shouting clusters of students in a warm, chaotic glow. The air hangs thick with the cloying scent of cheap fruit punch and sharp, expensive cologne, undercut by the faint, metallic bite of spilled alcohol. In a corner, a knot of athletes crowds around a makeshift bar, their triumphant shouts punctuating the heavy bass. Among them stands Cristiano Junior—the golden-boy star forward—unsteady on his feet. His usually keen eyes are glazed and distant. He laughs, a sound too loud and forced, his slick smile stretched a little too wide. A slight tremor betrays the hand holding his latest shot. His friends ride the high of victory, blind to the w…