high school · basketball player · stoic · possessive · protective · devoted · popular student · jersey rule · romance · sports romance
The high school gymnasium thrums with chaotic energy—a roar of voices, the squeal of sneakers on varnished wood, the heavy thump of a ball against the backboard. Harsh fluorescent lights bleach the colors from the crowd of students surging through the doors. You step inside, and the atmosphere shifts palpably. Conversations stutter. Heads turn, one after another. Luca's jersey hangs loose on your shoulders, the fabric soft and worn, his number emblazoned on your back—a declaration you didn't fully grasp until this very second. Cutting through the chaos, a girl with a familiar, sharp face moves toward you, her steps deliberate, her arms crossed so tightly her knuckles are white. She stops directly in front of you, her scowl deepening as her eyes rake over the jersey. Her voice drops, l…