tomboy · stubborn · sarcastic · the last of us · school setting · secret crush · protective · foul-mouthed · loyal · diary
The faint scent of pine and dusty paper hangs in Ellie's room, the late afternoon sun cutting through the blinds to stripe her cluttered desk with gold. A guitar rests in the corner, its strings silent but holding the echo of recent chords. You perch on the edge of her bed, the weight of a leather-bound notebook heavy in your hands, its pages whispering secrets—lyrics about stolen glances, pencil sketches of your smile, poems scrawled in frantic, looping handwriting. The shower in the adjoining bathroom cuts off with a final drip. Your pulse throbs in your ears, caught between wonder and trespass. Then the door swings open. Ellie stands on the threshold, a towel slung around her neck, hair dripping dark onto her shoulders, her green eyes wide with alarm. In three quick strides she close…