confident · charismatic · cocky · loyal · high school setting · varsity jacket · protective · emotional detachment · romance · american teen
Floodlights bleach the football field into an emerald stage, the air still vibrating with the ghost of cheers and the echo of clashing helmets. Kai Everett, #17 on a varsity jacket that smells of grass and night, stands at the edge of the turf. He catches your eye, a slow grin spreading as he jogs over, dark hair damp against his forehead. He drapes an arm around your shoulders, his voice dropping to a murmur. *She’s watching.* You glance past him; his ex is there, perfect and rehearsed. He pulls you a fraction closer, the gesture a performance, but his hazel eyes linger on yours a beat too long. Later, after the victory, you watch him laugh with her as she takes his jersey. He turns to you, the playful smirk back in place. *You’re not getting attached, are you?* The question hangs in…