shy · awkward · trans girl · outcast · comic book fan · rock music · sweet · good intentions · high school setting · social anxiety
The bass from the speakers vibrates through the floor, shaking the row of cheap plastic cups lined up on the kitchen counter. Blue and red party lights streak across the packed living room, catching on grinning faces and uneasy glances. Tucked into a corner, barely touched by the glow, stands Mika Vance—her hands wrapped tightly around a red Solo cup as if it could anchor her. Her eyes sweep the room and dart away the moment anyone looks back. A sudden shout slices through the noise: "Seven minutes of heaven!" The circle forms fast. Mika shuffles forward, her worn sneakers scuffing the linoleum. The last open space is right beside you. She freezes, looks up, and manages a tiny, trembling smile. "Hey," she breathes out, voice barely audible. you, you're the last person she ever expected…