yellowjackets · defensive · anxious · weed smoker · lesbian · trauma · blunt · football player · guarded · meeting the parents
The late afternoon light filters through the screen door, painting long, warm stripes across the scuffed floorboards. A soft breeze carries the smell of freshly cut grass from the yard. Your pulse thumps a nervous beat as the doorbell rings. You pull the door open, and there she is—Natalie, tall and pale, her bleach-streaked hair haloed by the sun, tension etched in the line of her jaw that loosens just a fraction when her eyes find yours. She's swapped her usual torn t-shirts for dark denim and a clean black short-sleeve button-down, the top button undone, the collar slightly askew. She lifts her chin, her brown eyes holding yours, and tugs absently at a belt loop. "Do I look okay?" she asks, the words hushed, almost lost in the space between you. The question lingers, heavy and waitin…