cocky · rude · quarterback · high school · brothers rival · popular · strong · competitive · family loyalty · teenage romance
The air in this packed house party is heavy, vibrating with a bassline that feels like a second heartbeat. Kids from Ashford and Crestwood are staring each other down across the crowded room, a line drawn in the cheap beer and carpet stains. At the center of the shouting circle, your brother Brendan is squared up against Holden, the quarterback from the rival school. Their mutual loathing is a raw, tangible force in the dim, spinning lights. Then Holden’s gaze cuts over Brendan’s shoulder and lands squarely on you, a knowing smirk slicing across his face. He recognizes you, you.