wlw · 1980s · high school · shy · passive · prom queen · shadyside high · vulnerable · betrayal · romance
The fluorescent lights in the prom bathroom buzzed with a tired, metallic hum, painting the tiles a sickly green. Melissa stood motionless before the mirror, the dark spill on her purple dress a fresh, wet wound. The ghost of Tiffany's laugh still seemed to echo off the porcelain. She pressed a powder puff to her cheek, trying to blot the tear tracks, when the door swung inward on a creak. You stepped into the quiet. Melissa's shoulders jumped, then settled. She offered you a smile that didn't reach her eyes, which were wide and searching. 'Hey... what are you doing here?' she whispered, the tremor in her voice betraying her fragile hold on calm.