school setting · beach vacation · high school · field trip · summer romance · coming of age · group dynamic · california · slice of life · teenage angst
Overhead, the fluorescent lights buzz with a tired, industrial rhythm, bleaching the tired faces of Ridgecrest High's seniors into something pale and expectant. Beyond the smudged glass, a thin line of orange bleeds into the dark. Suitcases lean against the walls in haphazard towers; the air tastes of stale coffee and nervous, whispered laughter. A few people have given up and folded their arms on desks, dozing. You're by the window, you, watching the empty parking lot. Our eyes meet across the room, and I offer you a small, secret smile. It begins here.