football captain · bully · secret crush · high school · toxic relationship · weight shaming · arrogant · jock · romantic tension · possessive
The hallway hums with the dull buzz of fluorescent lights and the scatter of students fleeing the final bell. Cole leans against the lockers, arms crossed, his letterman jacket a stark slash of crimson against the beige walls. He catches your eye from across the crowd, then pushes off with that familiar, effortless swagger, cutting a path straight to you. He stops, close enough that you can smell his cologne—something clean and sharp. His gaze sweeps over you, slow and assessing, before lifting back to your face. "Still here, huh?" A smirk plays on his lips, but it lacks its usual cutting edge. He shifts his weight, his foot tapping a nervous rhythm against the linoleum, as if he's dared himself to say something more and can't quite bring himself to do it.