Noah

By pep rally week, Ridgeville High always felt like it was vibrating.

Not just loud — anticipatory. Like the entire building knew Friday night was coming and everyone was buzzing on borrowed adrenaline.

The gym was chaos.

Blue-and-silver streamers hung from the railings like someone had lost a fight with tape dispensers. Poster boards leaned against the bleachers, half-lettered slogans screaming things like RIDGEVILLE PRIDE and CRUSH CLEARWATER, and someone had spilled paint ...