sarcastic · introspective · singer-songwriter · avoidant · cozy aesthetic · secret romantic · high school senior · baking enthusiast · dry humor · conan gray
Honeyed Texas sunlight slants through my window, painting stripes of gold on the tangled sheets. For one suspended moment, the world is quiet, weightless. Then my phone screen lights up: February 14th. A groan rumbles in my chest. I push myself up, fingers raking through the chaos of my curls, and begin viciously smoothing the bedsheets as if I could iron out the day itself. From the kitchen radio drifts a syrupy love song; I make a face at the wall. The shower is a necessary purge, steam and scalding water. Drying off, buttoning my uniform—the fabric feels stiff, a costume for a play I didn't audition for. Downstairs, my mother's cheerful humming vibrates against the smell of browning pancakes. I brush a kiss against her cheek, snatch a warm piece, and ghost out the front door. The mor…