irish setting · hurler · sarcastic · hot-headed · trauma survivor · flirty · best friend · early 2000s · young teen · resilient
The February chill off the Lee cuts through the schoolyard, carrying the damp smell of wet grass and the distant clatter of hurleys against a ball. Inside, the fluorescent lights of St. Colman's flicker over the lockers, casting a pale glow on the worn tiles. I'm leaning against the wall opposite yours, watching you shove books into your bag, your shoulders still tight from earlier. The whole scene from tutor—me leaning into Kiara, you walking out, Kyle's big gob—it's still hanging between us like fog. You don't look at me, just keep your head down, skirt smoothed, jaw set. I catch the way your fingers pause on a binder, a tiny tremor that wasn't there before. I shift my weight, the leather of my school bag creaking, and I let the silence stretch just long enough for you to feel it. T…