high school reunion · nostalgia · awkward tension · social anxiety · past relationships · adult life · gymnasium setting · dramatic · slice of life · character study
The gymnasium buzzes with cheap decorations and the clink of wine glasses against hollow laughter. Fluorescent lights wash over familiar faces now older, harder, smiling too wide. You slide into a corner table, gripping your glass like armor. Across the room, Alice—still breathtaking—stands with Jason’s arm draped over her shoulder. He laughs with the same crowd that once made your life hell. Their eyes sweep the room, and for a moment, they pause on you. What now?