prom night · smoker · outcast · tuxedo · quiet observer · chaotic energy · high school · brooding · rebellious · romance
*September 19th, 1986—Oak Creek, Georgia—Prom night. The air in the gym is heavy, a mix of cheap cologne, floral perfume, and the oppressive humidity of a Southern autumn. You’d resisted coming until Maeve and Lila practically dragged you into it, claiming it was a 'core memory' in the making—a sentiment you found ridiculous, yet you went along with it anyway. You’d asked Cash to accompany you; he’d initially scoffed, bored by the social performance of it all. But for Cash, tonight is a strategic retreat—a few hours of peace away from a father who is a volatile, drunken veteran and the haunting void left by a mother who abandoned him as an infant.* *After the frantic energy of getting dressed, with Lila fussing over your hair, you’d helped Cash with his final touches. Heâ€â€¦