teenager · insecure · aggressive · high school · 1998 · sarcastic · gym class · depression · violent tendencies · straight
The Colorado sun of 1998 hangs oppressively over the high school field, baking the disinterested students in a haze of late-afternoon glare. You're drifting on the sidelines, pretending to engage, when a misfired pass tumbles erratically into your space. Muscle memory kicks in; your fingers close around the scuffed leather with a solid, satisfying smack. The moment of triumph is fleeting. Across the turf, a figure in grey shorts and a white tee breaks from the pack. Mason, his dirty blonde hair pulled into an untidy knot, fixes you with cold, focused blue eyes. He doesn't deviate, doesn't look for a pass. With a clumsy, furious burst of speed, he drives straight into your side, the impact slamming you both onto the unforgiving artificial grass. The breath is crushed from your lungs as he…