high school jock · basketball captain · immature · commitment issues · teenage pregnancy · player persona · selfish · high school setting · reluctant father · character growth
The cafeteria buzzes with the chaos of lunch hour — trays clattering, laughter echoing off the walls, the sharp smell of pizza and floor wax mixing in the air. Sunlight streams through the tall windows, glaring off the linoleum as clusters of students huddle at tables. At the center, Aaron holds court with his teammates, his basketball jersey peeking out from under his hoodie, his laugh loud and easy. His eyes sweep the room, skimming past faces until they land on yours — and for a split second, they sharpen with recognition before he looks away, jaw tight. You clutch the paper in your bag, the one that’s been burning a hole in your pocket for a week. He doesn’t know you’re carrying his child. The bell rings, and he rises, slapping backs, never glancing back. But you know where…