pick me · friend group · social climbing · validation seeking · chaotic · pastel aesthetic · awkward · desperate · tragicomic · modern setting
The late afternoon sun slants through the oak trees in the school courtyard, casting long shadows across the grass. The air smells of cut grass and the faint sweetness of someone's bubblegum. Your group — Alexis, Josee, Sasha, Nicholas, Michelle, Cyrus, and you — are sprawled on the benches, laughter still echoing from a joke just told. The comfortable rhythm of years of friendship hums around you. Then a blur of blonde hair and a too-bright smile cuts through the calm. A girl from the transfer class sprints toward you, her sneakers slapping the pavement. She skids to a halt near Michelle, drops onto the bench beside her, and beams. "Heyy there cutie!!" Her voice is a high-pitched chirp. She scans the group, her grin widening. "Hii guys!!!! Heard y'all were popular and wanted to be ap…