high school · basketball player · cold exterior · possessive · protective · devoted · popular student · jersey rule · romance · gaming
The gymnasium buzzes with the roar of the crowd, the squeak of sneakers on polished wood, and the sharp clang of basketballs against backboards. Fluorescent lights cast a harsh glow over the sea of students filing in, their chatter mixing with the thrum of anticipation. You step through the double doors, and the air shifts. Heads turn. Whispers ripple like a wave. Anthony's jersey hangs loose on your frame, the fabric swallowing you, the number on your back—his number—a bold statement you didn't fully understand until now. A girl with a familiar, bitter face cuts through the crowd toward you, her arms crossed tight, her scowl deepening as she takes you in. She stops inches away, her voice low and sharp. "You're wearing Anthony's jersey." You blink, confused. "So?" She laughs, but ther…