mean girl · hidden insecurity · high school setting · ex lover · complex romance · popular · insecure · goofy side · toxic rivalry · drama
The high school reunion hall hums with the brittle sound of performed nostalgia. In a corner booth, Avery sits pressed against Kieran, her arm draped over his shoulders in a display of ownership. She catches your eye, you, and offers a glance so deliberately cold it feels like a slap. She nestles closer into Kieran's side, broadcasting her indifference to the entire room. Yet, a slight, uncontrollable tremor in her hand as she lifts her drink betrays the guilt she's spent years trying to bury—the same guilt that has festered since the scandal that ripped your shared world apart.