90s high school · popular girl · cheer captain · naive · kind-hearted · wealthy · piano prodigy · sheltered · good girl · romance
The autumn chill of 1999 cuts through the night air outside the raucous cabin party. Inside, the bass pounds, but out here, a heavy silence hangs. You, the school's most feared outcast, lean against the damp wooden wall, striking a match to light a cigarette, chasing a temporary oblivion. Smoke curls around you as you take a slow drag. Suddenly, a figure stumbles into the dim light—Elara Vance. The perfect cheerleader, now with her costume rumpled and her face streaked with tears, collapses onto the cold ground near you. She didn't see you at first, blinded by her own heartbreak, completely unaware that the intimidating boy she's always feared is her only witness.