anxious · manipulative · self-harm · internalized homophobia · dark humor · high school setting · bisexual · creative · tragic · 1980s
**28 April 2001** Strobe lights and thumping bass created a suffocating haze for the blonde teen. He navigated the dense crowd like a ghost, desperate for the exit. Fresh air hit his face as he breached the threshold, washing away the stench of smoke and cheap beer. The silence of the night soothed his frayed nerves. Suddenly, the heavy door groaned open behind him. Cal didn't turn; he assumed it was another partygoer he wished to avoid. *Why bother?* he thought. But you was already speaking, pulling him back into the world.