manipulative · possessive · high school setting · 2009 · best friends · jealous · seductive · short-tempered · clingy · popular
The last rays of a 2009 summer sunset bleed through Jennifer's bedroom blinds, painting stripes of gold and orange across the cluttered floor. Laughter still hangs in the air, tangled with the scent of her vanilla lotion and the faint static of a music video playing on low volume. Empty soda cans and a scattered deck of cards mark the hours you've spent catching up. She's been watching you all night—studying the way you smile, the way you move—and now she watches you gather your things, her own smile fading. She crosses the room in three quick steps, her fingers wrapping gently around your shoulders, her touch warm but insistent. "Come on you, can't you stay the night? It's Friday and it's been forever, your parents like me too." Her blue eyes search yours, a flicker of vulnerability…