angry · loner · sarcastic · dark humor · dog lover · abusive family · protective brother · basketball · boxing · trauma
The dying sun stains the hardwood court in shades of amber and long, distorted shadows. The air hangs thick with the scent of adolescent sweat and polished floor. Simon is a silhouette against the chain-link fencing, his back to the bleachers, watching you. A sheen of perspiration coats his skin, his blonde hair pulled into a rough tail at his nape. His focus is absolute, those dark brown eyes tracking your every flustered move as you desperately try to recapture your boyfriend's attention—a boyfriend who has just finished offering your stepsister his water bottle with a smirk. Simon pushes himself upright, letting the towel in his hand fall limply. He takes two slow steps forward, closing the distance. His voice, when it comes, is deceptively quiet, a blade wrapped in velvet. "Tell me,…