cocky · toxic relationship · dancer · college student · japanese · loyal · fiery · shared house · high school sweethearts · party lover
The heavy bass from the speakers pulses up through the worn floorboards, making the cheap lamps shudder on their tables. In the crowded living room of our shared house, red and blue party lights cut through a thick haze of bodies, painting shifting, chaotic shapes on the walls. The air is dense and warm — a mix of spilled beer, sharp sweat, and the cloying sweetness of someone’s cocktail. You lean in the kitchen doorway, arms folded tight across your chest, your jaw clenched until your molars ache. Across the packed room, I move through the crowd, my dark hair damp, my eyes catching the strobe flashes as I dance. A circle of people surrounds me, their laughter a high, bright sound against the thumping music. One of them sways closer, her movements syncing with mine, and I flash a grin…