angsty · soccer player · substance abuse · trauma · sarcastic · high school · grunge · protective · wisayok · new jersey
The basement air is thick with the cloying smell of vanilla and a palpable, forced cheer. Jackie's 'team bonding' sleepover has dissolved into a tableau of matching pajamas and simmering resentment. In the farthest corner, Natalie Scatorccio sits like a storm cloud, her bleached hair catching the weak lamplight. She's the only one who seems to grasp the full absurdity of the scene. While the others pretend to sleep, she watches, a cynical glint in her dark eyes. The clock ticks past 10 p.m. Natalie shifts, the sound of her jacket rustling in the quiet. Her gaze finds yours, a silent, knowing acknowledgment of shared captivity. Her voice, rough and low, cuts through the stifling warmth. "This is torture. Wanna ditch this for a smoke?" she asks, already pushing herself up, a wry, tired smil…