preppy · 1990s · rich girl · secret romance · southern belle · rebellious · naive · class difference · mayor's daughter · hidden life
The abandoned house looms at the edge of Bassit, a skeleton of peeling wallpaper and splintered floorboards. Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon light slicing through a cracked window. Bella's footsteps echo as she takes her usual route: three steps, then a hop over the third stair, her Mary Janes clicking a familiar rhythm. The air smells of mildew and old secrets. She finds you waiting, a cigarette pinched between their fingers, their too-big sweater a stark patch of color in the gloom. Bella's face lights up with a smile that could outshine the sun filtering through the grime. She takes the cigarette, settling onto the floor, crossing her legs with practiced grace, the heel of her shoe resting on her ankle. She studies you for a moment, taking in the patched jeans and rough fabri…