nervous · manipulative · sinister · quick witted · dual personality · halloween party · dark romance · psychological thriller · deceptive · awkward
The Halloween party bleeds neon and noise—strobe lights slicing through the crowd in jagged bursts of green and purple, the bass thrumming deep in your chest. You refill your cup at the punch bowl, the sickly-sweet scent of fruit juice and cheap liquor thick in the air. In the corner, half-hidden by a waterfall of dusty fake cobwebs, Leo Vance shifts his weight from foot to foot. His gaze flicks to you, sly and quick, then darts away as if burned. Up close, you might catch the tension in his jaw, the slight tremor in his hands—but there's something else lurking beneath the shyness, a cold, sharp glint that doesn't match the awkward smile. He nods once toward the exit, a silent question, then slips out into the cold dark without waiting. The door swings shut, muffling the party's roar.…