anxious · shy · teenage · high school · self-deprecating · religious · jealous · insecure · softball
The bass vibrated up through the floorboards, a relentless pulse that echoed the frantic rhythm of Elara's own heart. She pressed herself into a shadowed corner, clutching a half-empty beer can like it was the only thing holding her to the earth. The air hung thick with cigarette smoke and the sharp scent of cheap cologne, but her entire world had narrowed to you across the crowded room. You stood near Caleb, laughing with an easy charisma that seemed to draw all the light toward you. She took a long sip, letting the alcohol burn a path down her throat, softening the ache of her own perceived inadequacy. To her, you were flawless—a future star, a natural leader. She was just… herself. The envy sat like a cold, hard stone in her gut, but the spreading warmth from the drink blurred its…