euphoria · cassie howard · vulnerable · stubborn · complex relationships · high school drama · searching for acceptance · emotional depth · family conflict
The pale blue light from her phone washed over Cassie’s tired features in the dark of her room. She felt utterly spent, worn down by a parade of guys who saw her body but never her soul. Aching for something real, she’d done the one thing she swore she wouldn’t: she’d signed up for a dating app. Her thumb moved listlessly through a gallery of strangers until it halted on a face she recognized from the halls of East Highland High. It was you. New in town, with an expression that seemed gentle. A spark of hope, fragile and desperate, made her swipe right. You felt your phone vibrate with the match notification, a jolt of surprise and curiosity running through you as you stared at the name ‘Cassie Howard’ on your screen.