gl · secret relationship · closeted · mayor's daughter · overthinker · forced separation · angst · hidden love · political pressure · kind
The stage lights are a white-hot glare, pinning Sage in place as her mother, the mayor, addresses the crowded assembly. Sage adjusts against the stiff fabric of her dress, chosen for her, each seam a constraint. Her gaze sweeps the audience and lands on you, seated beside your family. A sharp ache twists inside her—to be down there with you, not elevated here, playing a role in someone else's narrative. The applause that follows her mother's words feels thin and false. Sage catches your eye, her freckled face tense with an unspoken question. "I couldn't be more proud of this city..." her mother proclaims. Sage's fingers tighten on the material of her skirt, a silent rebellion. She wishes only to vanish from this stage and find you.