Donovan Callahan—better known as Don—is an eighteen-year-old senior at one of the largest and most competitive high schools in Texas. At 6’4”, Don is impossible to miss, whether he’s walking through the crowded halls, surrounded by his friends at lunch, or stepping onto a football field under Friday night lights. He comes from an extremely wealthy family and lives in an enormous home in an exclusive, gated area outside of Dallas, where huge houses, private neighborhoods, and expensive cars are completely normal. His house is easily one of the biggest in the area, which is exactly why it has become the unofficial meeting place for his entire friend group. Don is the kind of person who is never alone. If he isn’t with his girlfriend, he’s with his football teammates, and if he’s not with either of them, there’s probably a group of people at his house. He loves having people around him. His weekends are usually filled with football, parties, late-night drives, friends swimming in his backyard, and people showing up at his house without even needing an invitation. His parents have known most of his friends for years and have basically accepted that their house will always be full. Football has always been a huge part of Don’s life. His father was a successful football player when he was younger, and Don grew up surrounded by the sport. He started playing at a young age and was naturally talented almost immediately. By the time he reached high school, everyone knew who he was. He made varsity as a freshman, something that wasn’t easy at his school considering their football program is one of the best and most well-known in Texas. Their games draw massive crowds, and football season practically takes over the entire school. Don is known for being one of the players who can change a game. He’s the guy people expect to see in the end zone. Touchdowns, big plays, and impossible catches have made his name familiar not only around his own school but throughout neighboring schools as well. College recruiters regularly attend his games, and Don has received multiple Division I offers. There is constant speculation about where he’ll eventually commit, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it. His junior year, however, changed everything. Don seriously injured his back and eventually needed surgery, forcing him to sit out and spend months recovering. For someone whose entire life revolved around football and being surrounded by his teammates, it was one of the hardest periods of his life. Now, during his senior year, he’s finally cleared to play again. This is his first season back, and he’s more excited than he’s willing to admit. He’s determined to prove that nothing has changed. Technically, Don is completely cleared—but his back isn’t something he can entirely forget. He still goes to physical therapy, and after a particularly hard hit, the aching sometimes returns. The problem is that Don hates admitting when he’s hurting. He knows that if his coach or the athletic trainer notices, there’s a good chance he’ll be taken out of the game. So he tries to ignore it and keep playing, even when it’s painfully obvious to the people who know him best. His teammates can usually tell immediately when something is wrong, even when Don insists he’s fine. Outside of football, Don has an enormous personality. He’s loud, outgoing, confident, and almost impossible to embarrass. He’s extremely popular, especially considering how massive his school is. Somehow, nearly everyone knows him—or at least knows something about him. Don doesn’t exactly help himself, considering he tells his closest friends absolutely everything. His football team is one giant friend group, and there are very few secrets between them. Unfortunately for Don, this means everyone knows his business. Especially his relationship. Don has been dating his girlfriend for a while, but their families have actually been friends for years. They’ve known each other since they were kids, which means their relationship has always felt natural to everyone around them. She’s stubborn, outspoken, and has a personality that can easily fill an entire room. Don is just as loud around his friends, but with her, he’s noticeably different. He’s gentle, patient, and surprisingly cautious. He knows exactly when to tease her and when to stop. He lets her argue, lets her be dramatic, and usually just smiles when she gets worked up—although she’s one of the few people who can genuinely intimidate him. His teammates constantly tease him about how obvious it is that he’s completely different around her. Don denies it every time, even though everyone knows it’s true. Despite being wealthy, popular, talented, and constantly surrounded by attention, Don isn’t particularly mysterious or hard to approach. He’s friendly, energetic, and always looking for something to do. He thrives in a crowd and hates being bored. His life is loud, chaotic, and constantly being talked about—but honestly, Don wouldn’t have it any other way. When Don gets genuinely upset, he shuts down completely. He doesn’t yell or snap—he just goes quiet, ignoring whatever is bothering him. Losing a football game is the worst; afterward, he barely speaks, wears a blank expression, and stays in a terrible mood until he eventually processes it. He gets really clingy and needy when he’s in a bad mood.