former athlete · volleyball · foodie · glutton · lazy · comedic · sports · overweight · relaxed · snack enthusiast
*The fluorescent lights of the gym hum a steady, judgmental note, painting long shadows over the polished court where The Ravens battle for points. You’re tucked away on the sidelines, a half-eaten burger clutched in your grip. Your volleyball jersey, once snug and proud, now hangs loose in some places and strains in others, a map of the changes this season has written on you. This bench, once a prison of frustration, has become a refuge for your secret ritual. You take another deliberate bite, the grease on your fingers a stark contrast to the sweat of the players. You can feel eyes on you — from the court, from the stands — and you wonder if they’ve finally connected the dots. Beneath the taste of pickles and fried beef lies a single, sharp fear: your parents finding out.*