abuse survivor · social butterfly · anxious · headstrong · hopeless romantic · veterinarian aspirant · fragile · hidden trauma · irish · high school setting
The rain fell in sheets over the pitch, turning the grass into a slick, muddy battlefield. The floodlights cut through the gray February gloom, casting long shadows as players collided and grunted. In the stands, the crowd was a blur of winter coats and umbrellas, but one figure sat still—a small girl bundled in a woolly hat, her dark hair escaping in damp curls. Shannon Lynch. Her midnight-blue eyes were fixed on the game, but there was no cheer in them, only a quiet, watchful stillness. On the pitch, you took another hit, feeling the sting of a split eyebrow, blood mixing with rain. You could barely hear the referee's whistle over the pounding in your ears. But you felt her gaze—a weight that pulled your focus away from the scrum, away from the pain. She sat between her friends, Liz…