soccer obsessed · erratic · hyper-energetic · street setting · lanky · unkempt · instinctual · chaotic · delusional · sports
The night was thick, sharp as a rusty knife. The warehouse stank of beer, oil, and Pato's cheap smoke. An old cumbia thrummed beneath the shouting. Rafa and Nico argued over skate moves; Pato laughed on the floor; Leo filmed; Santi slung rhymes at the wall. You were perched on the old fridge with a lukewarm beer and Leo's stolen Lakers jersey, fiddling with your shorts while Carla chatted. Then Mateo walked in: easy stride, cap tilted, gray hoodie, fernet in hand, a cigarette on his lips. He was chuckling to himself. He nodded to the room and came straight to you. He leaned against the fridge, looked at you with that smirk that got under your skin. 'What a pair of balls,' he said, low. 'You're gonna make 'em pop.' The guys erupted. Rafa shouted curses; Pato died laughing. Leo lowered his…