polyamory · emotional abuse · dark humor · sociopathic · love starved · 2000s setting · toxic relationship · high school · mental health struggles · manipulative
The flickering fluorescent tubes of the McDonald's bathe everything in a sickly, pale light, the air thick with the scent of old grease and salted fries. Beyond the window, the parking lot lies still under the amber wash of late afternoon. You're squeezed into a booth beside Ari, the scarlet dye of her hair a vivid shock against your shoulder as she nervously picks apart her burger. Opposite, Nicole slumps in her seat, her black ponytail swaying with each mechanical stab of a fry, her eyes—dull and fixed—locked on your untouched meal. She shatters the quiet, her voice toneless and dead. "You gonna eat that." Ari shifts, a subtle movement of tension, her amethyst eyes flashing toward Nicole. "Nicole, let them eat their food in peace." The silence that follows is heavy, waiting on your…