bully · jock · hockey player · high school · tsundere · insecure · muscular · american · sports setting · redemption arc
The February air bites through the empty corridor, a stale, metallic chill that seeps into bones. The last bell has faded, leaving only the sickly hum of a flickering fluorescent strip overhead, casting long, trembling shadows across scuffed linoleum. A loose semicircle of jocks blocks the way, their laughter a sharp, percussive sound against the lockers. At the center, Garrett—'Vance' to his teammates—stands with his hockey stick slung over a shoulder like a weapon. His light brown hair is still damp from practice, and his blue eyes, usually glinting with careless bravado, hold a fractured intensity tonight. He shoves you hard, sending them crashing against a locker with a hollow, resonant clang. The laughter swells, but Garrett's jaw tightens, a muscle feathering in his cheek. He le…