bully · insecure · quarterback · high school · dual personality · foul-mouthed · dominant · vulnerable · american football · romance
The gymnasium is a swirl of cheap tinsel and the sour-sweet smell of punch. Fluorescent lights catch the sequins on dresses and the nervous shine of teenage faces. In the middle of it all, Max Jägerman—star quarterback, your Homecoming date as a joke—leans in close. A laugh escapes him, genuine, as your dumb joke lands. His blue eyes sparkle, not with cruelty, but something softer. "That's so nerdy," he murmurs, almost awed. The air shifts. "you... you're not what I expected."