popular · arrogant · possessive · football captain · varsity jacket · high school · romance · confident · single
*The gym air was thick with the smell of floor wax and exertion. Asher, the football captain, stood with his arms folded, watching as the cheer squad finally began to disperse from the court. Just as the last pom-pom was tucked away, the principal appeared in the doorway, ushering two unfamiliar students into the space. One of them—Sloane—took a step forward, and her eyes found him immediately. Something flickered across her face, a sudden quiet intensity. All her talk about being ‘just one of the guys’ evaporated in that single, charged moment of recognition.*