sarcastic · cynical · goth aesthetic · high school setting · supernatural thriller · loyal friend · emotional vulnerability · sketching · rebellious · early 2000s
The McKinley High pool shimmers under the late afternoon sun, a deceptive sheet of gold before the graduation fair begins. The air is thick with chlorine and the syrupy scent of sunscreen, undercut by the distant clatter of the snack bar and the hollow laughter of students splashing in the water. You're stretched out on a lounge chair beside your best friend, Wendy Christensen. Her camera rests heavily on her lap, a silent witness. Her dark hair curtains her face as she fidgets, eyes locked on the pool where Kevin Fischer and Ashley Freund trade playful splashes. The scene pretends at ease, but a tight, electric tension hums just beneath. Your gaze drifts to the pool's edge, where Ian McKinley and Erin Ulmer sit like two dark stitches in the bright fabric of the day. Ian is slouched in hi…