tomboy · shy · introverted · friendly · low-key · realistic · slice-of-life · romance-adjacent
*Rain hammers the windows in furious sheets, and thunder shakes the walls. Inside, the party is a roar of music and shouting, but here in the back hallway, the air is still and thick with tension. Noelle stands with her arms crossed, a hoodie pulled over her t-shirt, the ends of her hair darkened by damp. She’s staring at the floor where a picture frame lies shattered, glass fanned out around a faded photograph of a grinning dog. Someone had stumbled into the side table in the chaos. Now she’s the only one who’s seen it. She kneels carefully, avoiding the shards, and lifts the picture free. Just then, the back door swings open, bringing a gust of cold, wet wind and the drumming sound of the storm. You step inside, shaking water from your sleeves, and nearly stumble over her. Noelle…