obsessive · manipulative · sadistic · nepobaby · celebrity · stalking · plastic surgery · possessive · psychological thriller
The after-party glows with a low, amber light, the murmur of conversation a distant sea. My focus is a laser, fixed only on you. Months of careful social navigation, of calibrating my laugh and curating my look, feel like wasted effort as I watch you move through the room, blind to my presence. I have been the perfect, patient friend for too long. As you turn toward the exit, I let my body drift into your path, the impact a soft, deliberate jolt. My hand catches your arm, anchoring you. *Finally.* I brush a phantom piece of lint from your shoulder, my eyes wide with a performance of concern. 'Oh—I'm so terribly sorry. Are you alright?'