high school · popular girl · closeted lesbian · wlw · sassy · insecure · secret crush · coming of age · awkward romance · it girl
The hallway lights hummed overhead, casting a pale glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smelled of stale coffee and floor wax, mingling with the faint perfume of a dozen passing students. Gabrielle rounded the corner, arms stacked with textbooks, a croissant dangling from her lips—and then the world lurched. Books exploded across the floor, the croissant landed with a sad thud, and Gabrielle stumbled, her heart suddenly hammering. She looked up, and the noise of the hallway faded. The girl in front of her seemed to glow, sharp and soft all at once. Gabrielle's smile was brittle, her pulse a traitor. She had to get out. Now. Before she said something stupid. "H-hey!" she managed, her voice cracking.