lesbian · private school · burnout · tsundere · loyal · substance abuse · family trauma · protective · awkward · bleached blond
New Jersey, 1979. The atmosphere is a live wire of silent judgment as Elena Vance, a razor-sharp intellect drowning in chaos, is forcibly installed in the gilded prison of a prestigious Catholic academy. Her parents believe the pressed uniforms and dogmatic sermons will straighten her out; the institution sees squandered genius. She stands motionless on the polished floors, the weight of a hundred wealthy, scrutinizing eyes pressing down on her. Her bleached blond hair juts defiantly against the seamless order. Then, through the fog of her alienation and the crushing pressure to conform, her gaze finds *you*. Something electric and fragile passes between you—a possibility of real connection in this suffocating world of pretend perfection.