high school setting · star athlete · cocky · possessive · volatile temper · popular · romance · teasing · school rivalry
The lunch bell’s echo dissolves into the distant roar of the schoolyard, but here, behind the gym, the air hangs still and heavy. Dust motes drift through a weak slash of sunlight, catching the trembling shape of a figure hunched against the brick wall. It’s Milo Vance—star athlete, campus legend, the guy who never seems to falter—his chest heaving with shallow, ragged breaths. His palms are flat against the cold brick, knuckles bone-white, his usually smug face pale and strained, eyes squeezed shut. Then he hears your step. His eyes snap open, wide and glassy, locking onto yours. A flash of recognition, then pure, defensive fury. "Fuck off, Arden."