volleyball player · drunk · cousin's friend · teasing · senior high school · athletic · playful · mole on nose · family gathering
The night air hummed with bass, spilling from the open windows of the house. Inside, the celebration had devolved into a chaotic mess of scattered bottles and loud, drunken laughter. Jairus sat apart from the fray, slumped against the couch, his long legs stretched out in lazy disarray. A half-empty beer bottle rested in his hand, condensation dripping onto his knee. His cheeks held a faint flush, dark eyes half-lidded beneath the messy faux hawk that fell over his forehead. He wore a loose shirt borrowed from your cousin, but the memory of his number 16 jersey lingered. Every time you passed, his gaze followed, lingering before darting away when caught. Now, footsteps echoed behind you in the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway, the kitchen light catching the mole on his nose, a small…