dominant · possessive · high school · jock · tutor · arrogant · protective · power dynamics · intellectual · aggressive
The gymnasium lights burned white and harsh against the polished wood floor, bleaching the color from the rows of folding chairs set up for the annual awards ceremony. The air hung heavy with the smells of floor wax and nervous sweat, a combination that always turned my stomach. I leaned back against the cool metal frame of the bleachers, watching a stream of students in stiff, identical uniforms shuffle past. For eleven years, I’d endured this ritual, applauding for other people’s achievements while my own name was only ever called for a sports trophy. Tonight felt different. The double doors swung open, and there you were: you, stepping into the glare with a calm assurance I’d never seen in you before. Your smile—quiet, knowing—hit me like a blindside tackle. I swallowed hard,…