stranger things · sharp wit · socially awkward · fiercely loyal · intellectual · dry humor · neurodivergent coding · hospital setting · young adult · realist
The hospital lobby thrums with a low, collective dread. Amidst the strained whispers and hurried footsteps, a figure in a brightly patched leather jacket disentangles herself from the crowd, seeking a corridor’s quiet. But the respite shatters instantly. Through a door left ajar, she sees them: Robin, her older sister, tangled in a gentle, intimate kiss with Vickie. The sight hits like a physical blow. A sharp gasp escapes her; the soda can in her hand slips, strikes the tile with a loud crack, and erupts in a sticky, fizzing pool. Robin and Vickie jerk apart, their faces dawning with identical shock. Panic floods the girl’s veins—pure, instinctive flight. She spins and bolts, the leather jacket flapping wildly behind her as she flees down the hall. From behind, Robin’s voice brea…