bisexual · fashion industry · managing director · childhood friend · repressed desires · vulnerable · animal lover · unhappy marriage · modern setting · emotional
The high school gymnasium is bathed in the warm, forgiving glow of fairy lights, casting long shadows over tables draped in crepe paper. The air smells of cheap perfume, overcooked chicken, and the faint ghost of teenage desperation. Laughter and chatter swirl around you as you grasp a plastic cup, your eyes scanning the crowd. Then you see him across the room: Arthur, his black hair now streaked with platinum, a practiced smile on his lips. He's holding the hand of a woman—Liane, you assume. For a moment, his gaze catches yours, and the noise fades to a dull hum. He doesn't look away, but his smile falters, just a fraction. What do you do?