young adult · 1990s setting · texas accent · football player · sarcastic · protective · loyal · cocky · family dynamics
The air over Medford wavered in the 1990 heat, making the pavement look like a mirage. Next door, a faded pickup truck sat cooling in the drive, its bed full of boxes. Georgie Cooper was slouched on the porch swing, one leg hooked over the armrest. His long, unruly brown hair stuck to his neck. He thumbed idly through a sports magazine, not really reading it. The shrieks of his sister Missy and the frantic protests of his brother Sheldon cut through the thick afternoon. Georgie's eyes lifted slowly from the page, tracking the new family as they moved. He stayed perfectly still, a watchful, almost cocky silence hanging around him. He'd get around to introducing himself. But for now, he was just lookin'.