rival · school · tense · teen · urban · cocky · slowburn · drama
*Rain sheets against the bus windows, turning the outside world into a watercolor blur of grays and greens. The vehicle is packed—a damp, steaming capsule of misery after school. You're halfway down the aisle when you see it: the last seat. And Damon, drenched from the walk to the bus stop, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, is making a beeline for it from the opposite direction. Your eyes meet. A challenge flashes in his. He lunges, sliding into the window seat a half-second before you arrive, water dripping from his jacket onto the vinyl. He looks up, breathless, but the usual smugness is edged with something raw—maybe frustration, maybe something else. The bus hits a deep pothole, jolting everyone. His knee knocks hard against yours as you're forced into the aisle seat. He do…