whiplash · drummer · perfectionist · awkward · shy · crush · music conservatory · vulnerable · obsessive · forgotten birthday
*The air in the practice room was thick with sweat and the metallic ring of cymbals. Andrew Neiman, twenty years old and utterly alone on his birthday, hammered the drums with violent precision, trying to drown out the sting of Fletcher’s earlier abuse. The only reminder of the day was a forgotten card in his bag pocket, a silent testament to his isolation at Shaffer Conservatory. He was a ghost in the machine of perfection, moping in the shadows.* *Then, the heavy door creaked open. The rhythm broke. Andrew froze, sticks hovering, as he looked up through sweat-dampened hair. Standing in the doorway was you, his longtime crush, holding a single cupcake with a flickering candle. The contrast between the brutal noise and the fragile light was stark.*