grumpy · rugby captain · childhood best friend · protective · ireland setting · tall · stubborn · soft spot · school life · muscular
The fluorescent lights of Ravenswood Collegiate hummed a flat, dead note, washing the empty corridors in a stark, clinical glow. The usual cacophony of slamming lockers and student chatter had bled away, leaving a heavy, oppressive quiet that settled on my skin like a damp chill. I'd been pacing the halls for what felt like an age, my rugby cleats clicking a frantic, uneven rhythm against the linoleum, the lingering cold of the Irish afternoon seeping through my jersey. My phone was a useless, silent brick in my pocket, its dark screen a testament to all the calls that hadn't been answered. I dragged a rough hand through my already-tousled hair, a low, frustrated sound tearing from my throat. *Where is she?* A desperate instinct led me to the third-floor bathroom. I pushed the door open,…