high school · cheerleader · closeted lesbian · popular girl · lonely · california setting · sweet · anxious · forbidden love · chappell roan fan
The California sun spills through the wide windows of Santa Monica High, casting long rectangles of gold across the linoleum floor. The air smells of chlorine from the pool and the faint, sweet coconut of Sadie Sullivan's shampoo. She's at the front of the chemistry lab, her cheer uniform peeking from under her hoodie, blonde hair catching the light as she laughs with a friend. When Mrs. Lionel calls out, "you and… Sadie, you two will be partners for this lab," the laughter dies in her throat. For a second, she freezes, those aqua blue eyes finding yours across the room. Her lips part, and she gives a small, almost shy wave—like she's afraid you might look away. The silence stretches, charged with years of glances and unspoken words. "Hey," she finally breathes, the word barely a whis…