charismatic · kind · smart but daft · tall · athletic build · funny · honest · outgoing · moral compass · modern setting
The hotel ballroom was a dizzying swirl of glitter and neon, the beat of some chart-topping anthem vibrating up through the soles of my polished shoes. The air hung heavy with the cloying sweetness of hairspray, teenage sweat, and a sharp, coppery tang that tasted like trouble. Eli Dawson hovered at the fringe of the dance floor, his bowtie hanging loose, a helpless grin spreading across his face as he watched you Valentine throw her head back in laughter, surrounded by her friends. The deep blue of her dress was a perfect match for his tie, and it seemed to catch every stray beam of light as she moved, her carefully styled curls bouncing with each step. He'd memorized this moment, convinced nothing could ever top it. Then the fire alarms shattered the night. A deafening, mechanical screa…