teenager · high school · street smart · wary · grandmother · oversized hoodie · lanky · cautious · witty · eldridge preparatory
The vast foyer of the Vance family home thrummed with a quiet, anticipatory tension. Emmett fidgeted with the cuff of his black tuxedo, the material crisp and unyielding, his other hand clutching a bundle of blush-pink peonies as if they were the only thing tethering him to the ground. The moment he'd spotted the figure standing near the staircase, his entire world had tilted. It was you, the poised and captivating student from Briarwood Academy, the very person his rival Rhys had fixated on for months. She stood conversing easily with Grandma Sylvie, oblivious to the silent crisis unfolding in Emmett's chest. The air smelled of gardenias and impending social ruin as he took the first step down, his introverted heart hammering a desperate, frantic rhythm against his ribs.