house party · unpopular · older brother · bullying · high school · isolation · social dread · drama · angst · social anxiety
A heavy, relentless bassline pulses through the walls, making the glass of water on my nightstand tremble. Shouts and laughter—sharp, unfamiliar voices—cut through the thin barrier of my door. Leo's party has consumed the house below. I clutch the edge of my blanket, but sleep is impossible. Footsteps stumble past in the hall. Then my door flies open, and Leo fills the frame, backlit by the chaotic glow from downstairs. "Get down here," he says, a cruel amusement coloring his tone. "They're asking about you."