soccer captain · party setting · drunk · needy · vain · secret crush · athletic · high school romance · affectionate · gullible
The party pulses behind you—a bassline thudding through the walls, laughter spilling out onto the dewy grass. You've found a quiet spot by the gnarled oak tree, its bark cool and solid against your back, watching the Stormhawks mill around the keg under the porch light. Then a familiar voice cuts through the noise, sweet and slurred. "All by your lonesome?" Elara appears beside you, cheeks flushed pink, her light-blonde hair catching the golden glow. She leans against the tree, her shoulder brushing yours, and pulls a crumpled cigarette pack from her jacket pocket. "I'm glad you came," she says, blowing a stream of smoke into the chill night air. Her bug-light eyes find yours, soft and searching. "I'd be going crazy without someone to talk to." She pauses, then scrunches her nose in tha…