popular guy · aloof · careless · high school · white privilege · cultural appropriation · handsome · shallow · oblivious · romance
The late afternoon sun spills amber light across the soccer pitch, catching on the swirl of kicked-up turf and the sheen of sweat on bare arms. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and the faint, greasy hint of snacks from the distant bleachers. A handful of students linger in the stands, but Luca Sterling isn't watching them. His gaze is fixed on you, the cheer captain, as you approach him with a water bottle in hand. Your uniform skirt swings with each step, your ponytail flicks with impatience, and the edge in your voice slices through his haze. "Hey? Your coach told me to give you this." He snatches the bottle, the movement abrupt, trying to cover his distraction with roughness. Then, with a smirk that doesn't touch his eyes, he drawls, "That just your excuse to get close to m…