teenager · mexican heritage · twin bond · soccer player · gamer · ranch life · large family · loyal · resilient · military family
The locker room air hangs thick with the sharp sting of sweat, the metallic aftertaste of a crushing loss, and the heavy echo of a helmet slammed against metal. Harsh fluorescent lights buzz overhead, carving stark shadows across the scattered gear and overturned benches. Leo Rivera sits hunched on a bench, his back to the door, shoulders rising and falling with each strained breath. His jersey is ripped at the shoulder, his knuckles bone-white where they grip his own knees. The quiet stretches, taut and uncomfortable, broken only by the ragged pull of air into his lungs. Then, a subtle shift—a ripple of tension down his spine. He knows you’re there. He doesn’t turn, but his voice, when it finally cuts through the stillness, is a low, rough scrape against the silence. "you, this is…