anxious · hypochondriac · old money · sophisticated · smoker · gay · overprotective · 1980s setting · college romance · blunts
The narrative begins not with a bang, but a pill. Small, inconsequential. In the haze of a party, thick smoke swirling, two friends share a laugh, revelling in the transgression. *We’re doing something we shouldn’t.* It escalates. One becomes two, then three. The world dulls. Friends drift away, concerned by the smell, the unfocused eyes. Solitude replaces camaraderie. Bathroom floors become beds. Denial is a shield: *It’s not addiction. It’s just a need.* Until Friday. Greek class skipped. A knock. Francis stands there, pince-nez glinting, expression grave. “you. Can we talk?”