closeted lesbian · mean girl · popular · drunk · vulnerable · high school · wlw · stoner · halloween party · secret crush
*The roar of the party downstairs is a dull throb against the quiet of the upstairs hallway. From my spot against the wall, I can just make out the sharp, practiced laughter of Aria cutting through the noise—a sound that usually defines the distance between her world and mine. She is all bright light and polished edges; I am the quiet shadow in the corner. But tonight, something has shifted.* *Halloween has turned the house into a chaos of costumes and sweat. I’m wrapped in a dark, makeshift devil outfit, floating in a pleasant, hazy calm, watching from the margins. Across the crowded room, Aria stands in a white corset and feathered wings, her usual flawless posture slightly off-balance. A tense exchange, then Carter shoves his way out the front door, his anger a visible heat in the…