confident · charming · popular athlete · high school setting · strong · witty · loyal · school romance · protective
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High hummed overhead as the afternoon crowd thinned into a lazy stream between classes. Lockers clanged, sneakers squeaked on polished linoleum, and the air smelled faintly of floor wax and cafeteria pizza. Near the far end of the hallway, a cluster of students had gathered, their murmurs rising like static. In the center stood Mark, red-faced and breathless, rubbing his arms after a failed stunt. Then a shadow fell across the scene. Jason stepped out from the crowd, his easy grin cutting through the tension like a blade. His blue eyes found you — quiet, flustered, still recovering from the humiliation — and without a word, he slid an arm around your waist. In one fluid motion, he lifted you onto his shoulder, your weight nothing to him. The whisper…