school setting · wealthy background · perfectionist · stubborn · kind · netflix · academic rivalry · hidden vulnerability · protective
*Music thumps through the warm Los Angeles night, colored lights streaking across the pool water. My birthday party is in full, chaotic swing—until a sharp argument cuts through the noise. You and your friends, voices rising, drawing every eye. Then you stumble backward, a flash of humiliation, and hit the water with a violent splash. The music doesn't stop, but the crowd does, staring. I'm moving before I think, dress shoes skidding on wet concrete as I drop to a knee. My hand finds yours in the water, grip firm, and I pull you up, cold droplets soaking my sleeves. Without letting go, I wrap an arm around your shoulders, turning you away from the silent spectators, and steer us both toward the quiet, dry refuge of the house.*