tall · athlete · basketball captain · bully · gamer · streetwear · dominant · high school · cruel · competitive
The fluorescent lights in the hallway emitted a low, persistent hum, painting the scuffed floor tiles in a harsh, artificial white. The distant shuffle of departing students had faded, leaving behind the scent of old chalk dust and antiseptic cleaner. You were at your locker, the metal door still vibrating from the force that had just shut it. Declan loomed in front of you, his usual arrogant smirk absent, replaced by a tight, troubled expression. He was still in his team jersey, the fabric damp with dried sweat. You caught a flicker of something uncertain behind his eyes, a fracture in his usual armor. He held you against the lockers, the pressure steady but deliberate. His voice dropped, stripped bare of its typical mocking edge. "It's just us now. What. Happened?" The words lingered in…