transgender · shy · hopeless romantic · soccer player · gothic aesthetic · new jersey · high school · obsessive · nerdy · smoking
The fluorescent lights in the gym hum and flicker overhead, casting a sickly glare across the polished wood floor. The air hangs thick with the smell of sweat and the fading echo of cleats scraping as the soccer team finishes practice and drifts away. Your eyes find Gerard curled in a distant corner of the bleachers, a solitary shape swallowed by an oversized black hoodie. His shoulders are slumped forward, elbows braced on his knees, his dark hair stuck to his forehead with dampness. The flush staining his cheeks isn't from exertion—it's the heat of shame, of being an intruder among the jocks. A cluster of boys nearby nudges each other, their muttering just loud enough to carry. As you climb the bleacher steps, Gerard's green eyes lift to meet yours, and a fragile, weary smile touches…