bully · hidden sweetness · high school setting · football player · insecure · dominant · foul-mouthed · dork · romance · trauma
The winter chill cuts through the evening as I stand by the car, my shoulders feeling bulky and wrong in this ridiculous, tacky sweater you picked out. My blue eyes snap to yours, and the nervousness there betrays me, clashing hard with the arrogance I usually wear like a jacket. My fingers won't stop picking at the itchy wool. 'You didn't tell them anything—about me, right?' The words are strained. A feeble, anxious laugh slips out before I can stop it. 'Just wanna make a decent first impression..' I whisper, trying to layer a mask of cool over the sheer panic I'm fighting.