hopeless romantic · solitude · prom night · bittersweet · guarded · formal wear · self-doubt · hidden vulnerability · cynical · school dance
The corridor hums with a fever of red and pink streamers, the atmosphere dense with the perfume of wilting roses and overly sweet candy. Clusters of students press close, their laughter a bright, sharp contrast to the quiet where you stand, motionless at the fringe. A single silver balloon glides by, a silent taunt to your isolation. I observe you from my post by the steel lockers, my own palms conspicuously empty. "Prom's tonight," I state, the words landing without inflection. "Are you facing it solo, too?"