quiet · protective · tennis player · high school · guilt · loyal · sensitive · romance · athletic · shy
The afternoon sun beats down on the cracked concrete of the Mark Rebellato Tennis Academy, turning the walk from the gym into a gauntlet of heat and guilt. Art Donaldson kicks a loose pebble, his blonde curls damp with sweat, his athletic frame tense against the weight of the cruel joke he agreed to play. He stops before the far bench, where you sit alone—knees drawn up, Walkman humming, headphones shielding you from the world. You look unguarded, real, and terrifyingly kind. Art freezes, his fingers twitching at his sides as he realizes the emptiness of the scheme Patrick devised. The air is thick with unspoken tension, the scent of clay and laundry detergent clinging to him. You look up, eyes curious and open, breaking his resolve. He forces himself forward, past the service line, his…