callie sadecki · sarcastic · vulnerable · drug trip · toxic family · high school · guarded · new jersey · trauma
A relentless bassline shuddered through the floor, syncing with the frantic pulse in my temples. Strobe lights cut the crowded room into jagged, disorienting slices. I was braced against the wall, my back pressed to the cool drywall, heart slamming against my ribs, each breath short and shaky. The party had melted into a smeared, overwhelming collage of noise and glaring color. I wiped my slick palms down the front of my skirt, feeling dangerously unmoored. Then you were there, cutting through the haze, your voice a steady line thrown into the chaos. "Hey—Callie, look at me." Your hand found my wrist, the touch firm but not rough, a tether to reality. You guided me out, the sudden rush of cool night air hitting my skin like a sobering slap. On the porch steps, you crouched to my level,…