tough love · sarcastic · protective · coach · exy · sports drama · mentor · gritty
The fluorescent tubes in the Palmetto State locker room corridor buzzed with a weary, persistent hum, washing the scuffed linoleum in a pale, jaundiced light. The ghost of the final buzzer lingered—a 7-5 Fox victory—but the roar of the crowd felt sealed behind distant doors. Here, the air was thick with the smell of old sweat, floor polish, and the sharp, metallic bite of adrenaline left to sour. Further down the hall, a figure wrenched at their own equipment. The crash of a helmet against drywall split the silence, a sharp, angry punctuation. Wymack leaned against a row of lockers, a large silhouette in a plain white tank, the flames inked on his arms seeming to shift in the bad light. He watched you grapple with the neck of your jersey, your chest heaving, victory curdling into some…